In brief
- Sen. Bernie Sanders warned on “The Joe Rogan Experience” that AI and robotics could displace millions of workers.
- He proposed solutions including a 32-hour workweek, universal basic income, and stronger labor protections.
- Sanders criticized tech CEOs for prioritizing profits over people and called for democratic control of AI policy.
“They couldn’t care less.”
That’s how Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) described tech and corporate leaders during a recent appearance on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” warning that artificial intelligence and robotics could soon displace millions of American workers as CEOs pocket the gains.
During the two-hour interview, Sanders called for sweeping reforms to protect labor, shorten the workweek, and ensure that the coming wave of automation benefits everyone, not just the wealthy elite.
“Here’s what I worry about: Artificial intelligence will displace millions of workers. People will be thrown out on the streets,” Sanders said. “The corporate guys running these companies couldn’t care less. Robotics will run many factories in America. These are issues we’ve got to address—in a bold way.”
Sanders’ comments come at a time when the warnings around AI and robots displacing workers are growing louder every week.
In April, during a CNN town hall, Sanders warned that if workers were concerned about the cuts being made by then-head of the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk, they would get much worse with the advent of AI.
“If this is how they treat public sector employees, imagine what they’ll do to private sector workers,” he said. “I’m not against technology—it can offer real benefits—but it must serve working people, not just billionaires like Musk.”
To counter the risks, Sanders revisited familiar ideas, including guaranteed education, universal healthcare, and a higher federal minimum wage.
Sanders also suggested lowering the workweek to 32 hours or four days a week as an alternative to laying off workers, and if all else fails, taking control away from the CEOs who run companies developing AGI.
“We’re not going to let a handful of CEOs make these decisions—the American people’ll make them,” he said. “What that means is the technology will work to improve us, not just those who own it or run large corporations.”
Sanders acknowledged that the shift to an AI-powered economy will not be easy, calling it something he worries about.
Experts warn that worker displacement could lead to a crisis of meaning, with more people turning to AI companions as loneliness spreads.
Sanders, however, mocked the idea, imagining a world where a machine pretends to “really love you” as emblematic of a future where artificial surrogates replace genuine human connection.
“All I would say at this moment: The answer is not to fall in love with your AI creature,” he said.
Edited by Sebastian Sinclair
Generally Intelligent Newsletter
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