U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I‑Vt.) has issued a stark warning about the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence, questioning how working families will survive if automation eliminates large sections of the workforce.
Speaking in a recent interview on CNN, Sanders asked: “Without jobs and income, how will people feed their families, get health care, or pay the rent?”
The remarks, aired by CNN and later amplified through Sanders’ official X handle, have triggered widespread coverage across international outlets including The Guardian and The Times of India, placing renewed focus on the economic risks of AI adoption.
CNN Interview Drives Global Coverage
During the CNN interview, Sanders framed artificial intelligence as a technology with the potential to reshape society more dramatically than any before it, but warned that its benefits are increasingly concentrated among a small group of powerful technology companies and investors.
He argued that policymakers have yet to seriously address what happens to workers displaced by AI-driven automation, particularly in sectors ranging from manufacturing and logistics to office and knowledge-based jobs.
Following the CNN broadcast, The Guardian reported that Sanders described AI as potentially “the most consequential technology in the history of humanity,” while warning that U.S. lawmakers are not prepared for the scale of economic disruption it could bring.
Scrutiny of Tech Billionaires’ AI Push
Coverage by The Times of India, citing Sanders’ comments and social media posts, highlighted his criticism of major tech leaders including Elon Musk, Larry Ellison, and other billionaires heavily investing in AI and robotics.
According to Sanders, these investments are driven primarily by profit and power, rather than improving living standards for ordinary people. He warned that widespread automation could result in massive job losses while further concentrating wealth at the top.
Sanders also raised concerns about the environmental and infrastructure impact of AI, including the electricity and water demands of large-scale data centers, an issue that has increasingly drawn scrutiny from policymakers.
In a subsequent post on X following the CNN interview, Sanders sharpened his economic critique of automation, writing: “Why would corporations like Amazon replace workers with robots? Pretty simple. Robots don’t need a wage, health care, time off, sick leave, Social Security, Medicare or unemployment benefits. Maybe it’s time to tax robots & use the revenue generated to help working families.”
Challenging Musk’s AI Future Claims
In a separate exchange reported last week and referenced by multiple outlets following the CNN interview, Sanders challenged claims made by Elon Musk about a future where AI enables universal high incomes and free housing.
Sanders questioned how such a system would function if entry-level jobs disappear and traditional sources of income dry up, asking how young people and new workers would participate in the economy in an AI-dominated world.
These remarks reinforced his broader argument that technological optimism must be matched with realistic economic planning and strong public policy.
As artificial intelligence expands across industries, Sanders’ CNN remarks have become a reference point in a broader policy debate over how quickly AI should be deployed and who ultimately benefits from it.
Lawmakers face mounting pressure to balance technological innovation with worker protections, as questions over job losses, income security, and the influence of major technology companies move closer to the center of U.S. political discourse.
