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Sanders Sounds Alarm on AI: Robot Soldiers, Trillionaires, and the Future of Humanity
WASHINGTON D.C. – Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is once again shining a spotlight on the forces he believes threaten the fabric of American society, but this time, he’s trading his usual focus on billionaires for a new, equally formidable foe: artificial intelligence. In a wide-ranging interview with NBC News, Sanders issued stark warnings about everything from robotic soldiers to the potential rise of the world’s first trillionaire, all fueled by the rapid advancement of AI.
Sanders, known for his relentless critique of wealth inequality, sees AI not as a separate issue, but as an extension of his long-standing concerns. “Today, before we have seen the full implications of robotics and AI, you’re looking at unprecedented wealth and income concentration,” Sanders stated, pointing out that the top 1% of Americans now hold more wealth than the bottom 93%. He argues that “zillionaires” like Elon Musk, Larry Ellison, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg are pouring “hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars” into AI and robotics, a trend he fears will only exacerbate existing disparities.
The Vermont Senator painted a concerning picture of a future where AI could lead to even greater concentration of wealth and political power, weakening democracy and significantly diminishing the standard of living for working people. He cited the recent approval of Elon Musk’s pay package from Tesla, which could make him the world’s first trillionaire, as a prime example of this accelerating trend.
Beyond economic implications, Sanders raised profound questions about the very nature of humanity. He expressed concern about the development of robotic soldiers, noting, “If you don’t have to worry about loss of life, and what you worry about is loss of robots, what does that mean for issues of war and peace globally?” He also highlighted anxieties about young people increasingly relying on AI for companionship, pondering, “If kids today have AI as their best friends… what kind of change does that mean for humanity?”
Sanders is not alone in his concerns, with a growing bipartisan interest in AI legislation at both state and federal levels. A House subcommittee recently met to discuss the safety of AI chatbots, reflecting the increasing urgency surrounding the issue.
To further ignite public discourse, Sanders is set to co-host a town hall with “Godfather of AI” and Nobel Laureate Geoffrey Hinton at Georgetown University. He emphasized the potential for “massive, massive job dislocation,” referencing projections from industry leaders like Elon Musk, who has suggested AI and robots could replace all jobs, making work optional.
Sanders challenged this notion, asking, “But what the hell does that mean if it’s going to replace all jobs? If I’m a factory worker today… how am I going to feed my family?
How am I going to pay the rent?”
In response to these burgeoning issues, Sanders has proposed a limited set of policies, including increased employee ownership of companies, a reduced workweek, and a potential “robot tax” on large corporations to fund programs for displaced workers. He also advocated for the breakup of leading American AI companies, stating his goal is “creating a situation where this new technology is designed to benefit ordinary people, not just designed by a handful of billionaires to make them even richer.”
Sanders further criticized the emergence of super PACs funded by venture capitalists and donors to lobby against AI regulation, comparing their stance to 18th-century monarchies. He also raised privacy concerns regarding the increasing cooperation between AI companies and the U.S. military, questioning how far we are from a small number of individuals having access to “every aspect of your life.”
As Congress slowly grapples with the complexities of AI, Sanders remains a vocal advocate for proactive discussion and thoughtful regulation, hoping to steer the technology towards a future that benefits all, not just a select few.