Senator Bernie Sanders spoke at an event he held issuing a serious warning about the growing concentration of power in the hands of a small group of billionaires who are driving the artificial intelligence and robotics revolution. He framed the current moment as one of extraordinary technological change, raising urgent questions about who benefits from these advances and what they mean for ordinary American workers.
The senator emphasized that AI capabilities are advancing rapidly, with the length of tasks AI can complete doubling roughly every seven months and major companies investing hundreds of billions of dollars in new infrastructure.
— American Gazzete (@AmericanGazzete) March 7, 2026
Central to Sanders’ argument was the role of the wealthiest individuals in shaping the AI revolution. He identified Elon Musk ($834.9 billion), Jeff Bezos ($226.6 billion), Larry Ellison ($197.5 billion), Mark Zuckerberg ($221.2 billion), Peter Thiel ($30.4 billion), and Dario Amodei ($7 billion) as the key figures driving these developments. Sanders contended that these billionaires are not primarily motivated by improving the lives of ordinary Americans, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck. He said, “The richest people in this country are investing in AI and robotics because those investments will increase their wealth and power exponentially. In other words, the richest and most powerful people on earth will become even richer and more powerful.”
— American Gazzete (@AmericanGazzete) March 7, 2026
Sanders warned of the potential consequences for American workers, citing projections that AI, automation, and robotics could replace nearly 100 million jobs in the United States over the next decade, including large percentages of truck drivers, accountants, and fast food workers. He also referenced research from Stanford showing a 16% decline in employment for younger workers in AI-exposed fields such as programming and customer service, suggesting that the impact is already being felt.
— American Gazzete (@AmericanGazzete) March 7, 2026
Quoting tech leaders directly, Sanders noted, “Elon Musk recently said, ‘AI and robots will replace all jobs. Working will be optional.’ Bill Gates predicted that humans ‘won’t be needed for most things.’ Dario Amodai wrote that we are only a few years away from the point when ‘AI is better than humans at essentially everything.’” Sanders emphasized that these statements reflect both the ambition and the immediate actions of these companies and the threats it poses to American workers.
Sanders stressed that the critical issue is how the technology is used and who profits. He said, “If those workers are simply thrown out on the street in order to make Mr. Musk and his friends even richer, is that a good thing? No, it is not. If AI can develop prescription drugs which cure illnesses, is that a bad thing? No, it’s a great thing. The bottom line is not whether the technology is good or bad. It is how we utilize it and who benefits from it.”
Sanders concluded by urging a moratorium on the expansion of data centers and calling for serious congressional oversight to ensure that the AI revolution does not exacerbate inequality or leave American workers behind. He framed the debate as a choice between concentrated oligarchic control and broad public benefit, stressing that without intervention, the transformative power of AI could reinforce existing disparities rather than improve society.
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