Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued a stark warning on Sunday regarding the potential societal and economic upheaval posed by artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. Speaking at a “Fight Oligarchy” rally in Maine, Sanders argued that these technologies, if primarily controlled by a select few billionaires, could trigger “the most transformative economic revolution in the history of this country,” leading to widespread job losses and negatively impacting the social development of children.
Sanders expressed concern that AI could exacerbate existing economic inequalities and worsen the ongoing mental health crisis among young people. “Kids are lonelier and lonelier,” he stated, voicing his apprehension about AI bots becoming companions for the younger generation. “I do not want the next generation to have as their friends AI bots. I want them to have other kids, other human beings as their friends.”
The senator highlighted the primary function of AI and robotics as the replacement of human labor. He pointed to the increasing automation in manufacturing and the anticipated rise of driverless vehicles as examples of impending workforce disruptions. “Truck drivers and cab drivers, Uber drivers, Lyft drivers, etc. will be losing their jobs in the not too immediate future,” Sanders predicted.
While acknowledging the potential benefits of AI, such as enabling a reduced workweek with maintained wages, Sanders emphasized the critical need for regulation. He argued that the technology must be steered to benefit all of society, not just the wealthy tech executives developing it. “What we have got to do is make sure that AI and robotics work for all of the people, not just the billionaires who are developing that technology,” he asserted.
Beyond economic concerns, Sanders also addressed the broader societal implications of AI, including the potential for increased misinformation and social isolation among children. “If AI undermines our democracy by putting stuff on screens in which you cannot tell truth from fiction, that’s a bad thing,” he warned.
Sanders specifically criticized corporate leaders, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, accusing them of prioritizing profits over the well-being of workers amidst the rapid expansion of AI. “These guys are in it for the money,” Sanders contended. “They want more wealth and more power, and they do not care what happens to workers.”
These remarks were delivered as part of Sanders’ ongoing “Fight Oligarchy” tour, which focuses on issues of wealth inequality, corporate power, and critiques of the U.S. political system, which he believes is increasingly dominated by wealthy interests seeking to control government through superPACs.
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