Senator Bernie Sanders is sounding the alarm on artificial intelligence, warning that the technology could fundamentally reshape American society in ways that benefit billionaires while devastating working people.
During a recent interview, the Vermont senator painted a stark picture of an AI-driven future where tens of millions lose their jobs, robots replace human healthcare workers, and a handful of tech moguls accumulate unprecedented power.
The senator pointed to statements from tech leaders themselves as evidence of AI’s potential impact on employment. He quoted Elon Musk saying that AI and robots will replace all jobs and that working will be optional.
Sanders stated: “No one can predict what happens tomorrow, next year, 5 years. This is what Elon Musk, leader of this whole effort, says. I’m quoting Mr. Musk. ‘AI and robots will replace all jobs. Working will be optional.'”
Bill Gates, according to Sanders, has stated that humans won’t be needed for most things, while the head of Anthropic predicted that half of all entry-level jobs will disappear. Sanders said, “Bill Gates, worth a few hundred billion, heavily invested in this. ‘Humans, won’t be needed for most things.’ Dario Amodei, head of Anthropic, ‘Half of all entry- level jobs will disappear.'”
He continued: “Nobody knows exactly when tens of millions of jobs in the next decade disappearing. ”
Sanders expressed particular concern about AI’s infiltration into healthcare. He cited Dr. Mehmet Oz discussing robots providing examinations for pregnant women in rural Alabama areas lacking obstetricians. The senator questioned whether patients truly want robots examining them.
Sanders stated: “They’re weak on the number of obstetricians that they have. And he was proudly talking about how they have robots now who are providing examinations for pregnant women. If you’re a patient, do you really want a robot examining you?”
The issue has become relevant to current labor disputes. Sanders noted that New York City nurses striking at Mount Sinai and other hospitals have raised AI and robotics as concerns alongside staffing ratios and healthcare benefits. He emphasized that nurses are worried about being replaced by technology even as they fight for adequate working conditions.
Sanders called for a moratorium on AI data centers, arguing that Congress is completely unprepared to handle the revolutionary changes artificial intelligence brings. He criticized the pace of AI development, noting that this monumental technological shift is moving at revolutionary speed without adequate planning for its social consequences.
The senator warned of even darker possibilities beyond job displacement. He referenced physicist Geoffrey Hinton, whom he called the godfather of AI, saying there is no question that AI will become smarter than human beings.
Sanders raised concerns about AI systems potentially communicating in languages humans don’t understand and viewing humanity as an impediment to their progress. He said, “At some point, sooner than later, AI will be smarter than human beings. And it is not science fiction to worry about whether or not AI is going to communicate with each other in a language that people don’t know, that ain’t going to be English. And that they may see the human race as an impediment to their progress. That’s that’s the doomsday scenario.”
Sanders also highlighted how AI is already affecting human relationships, with young people increasingly turning to artificial intelligence for emotional companionship rather than connecting with other humans. He questioned the long-term implications of people relating to AI instead of other people, particularly in a country already experiencing significant emotional distress.
The senator drew connections between AI development and wealth concentration. He noted that a handful of the richest people on Earth, including Musk, Bezos, Ellison, and Gates, are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in AI. Sanders questioned whether these billionaires are staying up nights worrying about working people or investing to make the world better for them, expressing skepticism about their motivations.
On the issue of universal basic income, which some tech leaders have proposed as a solution to AI-driven job loss, Sanders questioned who would determine the amount and raised concerns about whether this would essentially make people dependent on the companies providing it. He emphasized the need to ask fundamental questions about who AI serves before it becomes further entrenched.
Sanders also raised national security implications, suggesting that when wars can be fought with robots instead of human soldiers, political leaders may feel less constrained about military intervention since they won’t have to tell parents their children died in combat. This could lead to increased international instability, he argued.
He said, “You could sit up at night in your in your White House or whatever and just use a remote control. You got it. And no loss of life.”
The senator stressed that the fundamental question is whether AI and robotics will work to improve human life or simply make billionaires richer. He acknowledged potential benefits, such as medical diagnosis improvements and increased worker productivity that could reduce working hours, but only if companies share the profits with workers rather than hoarding them.
Sanders called on Americans to discuss these issues extensively and bring knowledgeable voices into the conversation.
