Senator Bernie Sanders warned that rapid advances in artificial intelligence could fundamentally reshape the global economy and even pose risks beyond human control, arguing that policymakers have not yet grasped the scale of the transformation underway. Speaking during an interview with Brian Tyler Cohen, Sanders said the technology is developing so quickly that it could displace millions of jobs and eventually operate independently of human oversight.
Sanders described artificial intelligence and robotics as forces that could trigger what he called a “cataclysmic impact” on the economy. He said experts in the field are increasingly warning that many white-collar professions may soon face direct competition from advanced AI systems capable of performing the same work more efficiently. “If you’re a white collar job within a number of years there will be artificial intelligence that can do your job better than you can do it today,” Sanders said. He added that automation could similarly reshape physical labor, pointing to the potential for robots to replace workers in warehouses and factories.
— American Gazzete (@AmericanGazzete) March 9, 2026
Sanders framed the shift as a major societal transformation already beginning to appear in economic indicators. According to the senator, the cost incentives for businesses could accelerate automation. “Robot cost your employer $20,000 to buy. That robot works 24 hours a day, doesn’t need any health care, doesn’t need time off when they have a baby,” Sanders said, arguing that such economics could encourage companies to replace human labor with machines wherever possible.
The Vermont senator also warned that the development of artificial intelligence is being driven largely by a small group of extremely wealthy technology executives. He named figures including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Larry Ellison, and Bill Gates as central players investing billions of dollars into AI development. Sanders argued that their motivations should be closely scrutinized, questioning whether the technology’s rapid expansion is being guided by concerns for workers or by the pursuit of greater wealth and influence.
As part of his response, Sanders said he plans to pursue legislation intended to slow the pace of expansion until policymakers better understand its consequences. He pointed to a proposal for a moratorium on new data centers, citing both environmental concerns and the need for time to assess the economic implications of widespread automation. “We got to get a handle on this thing and make sure that AI and robotics work for ordinary people, not just for Mr. Musk and the wealthiest people on the planet,” Sanders said.
— American Gazzete (@AmericanGazzete) March 9, 2026
Beyond economic disruption, Sanders highlighted what he described as potential existential risks posed by increasingly advanced AI systems. He said conversations with former engineers from major technology companies have reinforced concerns that future systems could surpass human intelligence. “As AI becomes smarter than human beings, they may act independently of human beings,” Sanders said. “What the he** does that mean? This is not science fiction anymore.”
Bernie Sanders on AI:
— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 8, 2026
I was in California a couple of weeks ago talking to some very intelligent guys who had actually quit some of the big AI companies, and they're worried about the existential threat that as AI becomes smarter than human beings, they may act independently of… pic.twitter.com/iSVKo0d62w
The comments reflect a broader theme in Sanders’s recent political messaging, in which he has argued that artificial intelligence must ultimately serve the interests of working people rather than concentrate wealth among technology elites. While acknowledging the transformative potential of the technology, Sanders said governments must act quickly to establish guardrails before its economic and societal impacts accelerate further.
By
By
