JESSICA CORBETT

“We must stand up to the greed of Big Tech and make sure the future of artificial intelligence is a future that works for all of us—not just the people on top.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders on Monday argued in an opinion piece for Fox News that artificial intelligence “must benefit everyone, not just a handful of billionaires,” and released a related report warning that AI puts up to 97 million US jobs at risk.

“Some of the very wealthiest people in the world, including Elon Musk, Larry Ellison, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos—are now investing hundreds of billions into these revolutionary technologies”,  Sanders (I-Vt.) wrote at Fox.

“Why is that? Is it because they want to improve the standard of living of the 60% of our people who live paycheck-to-paycheck—Americans who are struggling to pay for groceries, healthcare, housing, and education? Maybe. But I doubt it.”

“I think it’s because investing in AI and robotics will increase their wealth and power exponentially. The artificial intelligence and robotics being developed by these multibillionaires today will allow corporate America to wipe out tens of millions of decent-paying jobs, cut labor costs, and boost profits,” he said, warning of major shifts within the next decade.

The senator continued:

“Most of us want to see the United States develop a strong, clean, and efficient transportation system—including the production of millions of new cars, buses, and trucks. But, if Musk and others get their way, those vehicles won’t be operated by truck drivers, bus drivers, or taxi drivers. They will be driverless vehicles. Millions of jobs in transportation will be eliminated.

This is not science fiction. It’s already happening. FedEx is using driverless trucks to haul heavy loads along the I-45 Corridor between Dallas and Houston through a company called Aurora. Walmart is using autonomous trucks for short-haul deliveries in Arkansas through a company called Gatik. Kodiak Robotics has partnered with IKEA to conduct driverless deliveries in Texas. Waymo is operating self-driving cabs in Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Austin.”

As the ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, Sanders noted, “I released a report today finding that AI, automation, and robotics could replace nearly 100 million jobs in America over the next decade, including 40% of registered nurses, 47% of truck drivers, 64% of accountants, 65% of teaching assistants, and 89% of fast food workers, among many other occupations. And as bad as that may seem, I am afraid it may be an underestimate.”

The report—The Big Tech Oligarchs’ War Against Workers—takes aim at not only tech billionaires but also their ally in the White House, Republican President Donald Trump.

As Sanders’ office summarized in a statement, the report also found:

• Corporations are already using AI to cut jobs. Amazon, Walmart, UnitedHealth Group, JPMorgan Chase, and other companies are openly telling investors that AI will allow them to slash payrolls—even as they post tens of billions in profits and reward CEOs with pay packages of $25 million, $35 million, or more.
• AI companies admit their goal is to lower labor costs. Firms like Salesforce and Artisan advertise digital labor platforms to “stop hiring humans.” Self-driving truck companies boast that their technology eliminates the “problem” of higher driver wages.
• Trump is making matters worse. The Trump administration has appointed AI executives to top policy roles, gutted labor protections, and even fired tens of thousands of federal workers to pave the way for AI replacement. Trump’s policies encourage corporations to automate jobs while kneecapping unions and worker rights.

Last month, Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas) unveiled a legislative framework for artificial intelligence, including a bill to create a “regulatory sandbox,” which he said is part of the “AI Action Plan” Trump announced in July.

“Technology can and should improve the lives of working people,” Sanders said Monday. “But it will not happen if decisions are made in boardrooms by billionaires who only care about short-term profits. Congress must ensure that AI and automation benefit workers, not just corporate CEOs and Wall Street.”

Specifically, Sanders is advocating for a 32-hour workweek with no loss in pay, requiring corporations to share profits with workers and give them seats on boards, expanding employee ownership, creating a US Employee Ownership Bank, enacting a “robot tax” on companies that replace workers with machines, passing the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, ending union busting, guaranteeing paid family and medical leave, restoring defined benefit pensions, and banning stock buybacks.

“Working people built this country,” Sanders stressed. “They deserve to benefit from new technology, not be thrown out on the street while billionaires get even richer. We must stand up to the greed of Big Tech and make sure the future of artificial intelligence is a future that works for all of us—not just the people on top.”

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.

First published on CommonDreams.org.

Shared via Creative Commons.