US Senator Bernie Sanders has warned that the rapid growth of artificial intelligence and robotics could threaten jobs, widen economic inequality, and negatively affect children’s social development if left in the hands of profit-driven billionaires.
Speaking during a “Fight Oligarchy” rally in Maine on Sunday, Sanders said artificial intelligence is set to become a major force in reshaping the American economy, but cautioned that the technology could do more harm than good without proper regulation.
“Kids are lonelier and lonelier,” Sanders said. “I do not want the next generation to have as their friends AI bots. I want them to have other kids, other human beings as their friends.”
The Vermont senator described AI and robotics as “the most transformative economic revolution in the history of this country,” warning that automation could displace millions of workers across different sectors.
“What is the function of AI and robotics?” Sanders asked supporters at the rally. “It is to replace human labor.”
He pointed to factory automation and the expected rise of self-driving transportation as examples of industries facing disruption in the near future.
“Truck drivers and cab drivers, Uber drivers, Lyft drivers, etc. will be losing their jobs in the not-too-immediate future,” he said.
Although Sanders acknowledged that AI could improve productivity and even shorten working hours while maintaining wages, he insisted that safeguards must be put in place to stop the technology from benefiting only wealthy corporations and tech executives.
“What we have got to do is make sure that AI and robotics work for all of the people, not just the billionaires who are developing that technology,” he added.
Sanders also raised concerns about misinformation and the growing influence of artificial intelligence on society, arguing that unchecked AI tools could weaken democratic systems.
“If AI undermines our democracy by putting stuff on screens in which you cannot tell truth from fiction, that’s a bad thing,” he said.
The senator further criticized tech billionaires, including Mark Zuckerberg, accusing them of prioritizing profits and power over the well-being of workers.
“These guys are in it for the money,” Sanders said. “They want more wealth and more power, and they do not care what happens to workers.”
The comments came during Sanders’ ongoing nationwide “Fight Oligarchy” tour, where he has continued to speak against wealth inequality, corporate influence, and the role of billionaires in American politics.
