The artificial intelligence and robotics being developed by multi-billionaires will allow corporate America to wipe out tens of millions of decent-paying jobs, cut labor costs and boost profits. What happens to working class people who can’t find jobs because they don’t exist? — Senator Bernie Sanders is the senior senator from Vermont. He is the longest-serving independent in U.S. congressional history and the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP).
TRANSCRIPT. Thanks very much for joining me. You know, in the midst of these unprecedented and crazy times, government shutdown, Trump’s devastation of healthcare in America, climate change, the move toward authoritarianism, the horrific war in Gaza, the growth of oligarchy, etc., etc., etc. Uh, I want to take a few minutes talking about another issue of enormous consequence that just doesn’t get the kind of attention I think it deserves. Everybody agrees that artificial intelligence, AI, and robotics are going to have a transformative impact on our country and the world. There is very little disagreement about that. There are however very strong disagreements as to what those impacts will be, who will benefit from these changes and who will be hurt. So here is my take. Some of the very wealthiest people in the world, including Elon Musk, Larry Ellison, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and others are now investing hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars into these revolutionary transformative technologies. Now, why why is that? Why are they doing 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, health care, housing, education. Maybe maybe they are staying up nights worrying about the working families of America, but I doubt it. I think it’s because investing in AI and robotics will increase their already incredible wealth and power exponentially. Among other impacts, the artificial intelligence and robotics being developed by these multi-billionaires will allow corporate America to wipe out tens of millions of decent paying jobs, cut labor costs, and boost profits. The result, the wealthiest people in the world will get even richer while working families lose their jobs and their income. And unless we act, here is in my view. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but in my view, this is what is likely to happen in the next 10 years. Now, as a member of Congress who vigorously opposed the disastrous trade agreements that decimated communities throughout this country, I like most Americans want to see manufacturing rebuilt in the United States of America. But let us be clear, new factories won’t mean much for working people if the jobs are done by robots instead of human beings. Elon Musk has said he wants Tesla to build millions of robots. And what will these robots do? Well, obviously they will replace the men and women working in our factories, warehouses, and in restaurants, and in other areas. That means millions of good jobs could disappear. It’s not very complicated. And of course, it’s not just Musk. Amazon, owned by Jeff Bezos, has already laid off 27,000 workers since 2022. The company now has more than a million robots working in its warehouses, and soon these robots will outnumber human workers in Amazon facilities. In 2016, Foxcon, the massive manufacturing contractor for companies like Apple and Google, replaced 60,000 workers in a single huge factory in China with robots. Now, the company is planning fully automated factories. And just a few months ago, Foxcon CEO Youngloo predicted that artificial intelligence will make it unnecessary for large corporations to outsource jobs to low-wage countries. You know why? Because robots will be doing most of the manufacturing work. However, it is not just manufacturing jobs at risk. 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 I45 corridor between Dallas and Houston through a company called Aurora. Walmart is using autonomous trucks for short hall deliveries in Arkansas through a company called Gateic. Kodiak Robotics has partnered with IKEA to conduct driverless deliveries in Texas. Whimo is operating self-driving cabs in Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Austin. We all want to see more startup companies and small businesses, but for workers that will mean very little if half of all white collar entry-level jobs are eliminated over the next 5 years. And that is exactly what has been predicted by Dario Amodi, the founder of Anthropic, one of the leading AI companies in the world. As the ranking member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, I just released a report 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’m afraid it could be an underestimate. In June, the CEO of Ford, Jim Frolley, predicted that AI could eliminate quote literally half of all white collar jobs in the US end quote within the next decade. That’s Jim Folly, Ford. Elon Musk said this year that as a result of AI and robotics, quote, “Probably none of us will have a job. If you want a job, that’s kind of like a hobby. You can do a job. But otherwise, AI and robotics will provide any goods and services you want.” End of quote. Earlier this year, Bill Gates predicted that humans, quote, won’t be needed for most things, end quote, such as manufacturing products, delivering packages, or growing food over the next decade due to AI. So, my friends, here is a rather big question. If Musk and Gates and others are only half right in their predictions, what happens to the tens of millions of Americans who no longer have employment because they can’t find jobs that don’t exist in this brave new world? How do these Americans pay for health care, food, housing, and the other necessities of life? But it’s not just economics. Work, whether being a janitor or a brain surgeon, is an integral part of being a human being. The vast majority of people want to be productive members of society and contribute to their communities. What happens when that vital aspect of human existence is removed from our lives further? And now we get into some pretty deep stuff. The rapid developments in AI will likely have a profoundly dehumanizing impact on all of us. In many ways, it will actually redefine what it means to be human, fundamentally alter our relationships to each other, and the very nature of what we call society. Can AI and robotics be of help to us in many ways? Absolutely. I believe they can. I am not a lite. The goal, however, is to make sure that the new technologies being developed serve human needs and not just further enrich a small number of multi-billionaires. We do not simply need a more efficient society. We need a world where people live healthier, happier, and more fulfilling lives. So where do we go from here? And again, I don’t have all of the answers, but here are just a few ideas as to how, in my view, the advances in technology can benefit ordinary Americans and not just multi-billionaires. First, we must move to a 32-hour work week with no loss in pay. Think about it. Today, American workers are 400% more productive than they were in the 1940s when the 40-hour work week was first established. Artificial intelligence and robotics will greatly increase that productivity. Workers must benefit from that increased output through a shorter work week. A 32-hour work week with no loss of pay would be a major step forward in improving the quality of life for millions of Americans. Second, we must require large corporations to allow workers to elect at least 45% of the members of their boards of directors, similar to what already takes place in Germany. Workers need a seat at the table to best determine how AI is used in their companies. If Tesla workers were on their corporate board, I doubt very much that they would be rewarding Elon Musk with a trillion dollar pay package. Third, we must greatly increase profit sharing at our nation’s largest corporations. In my view, workers should receive at least 20% of the stock in companies they work for. Corporate profits should not just be going to enrich wealthy stockholders and the billionaires who own them. Fourth, we need to substantially expand the concept of employee ownership in America. When workers own their own businesses and are more involved in the decision-making processes, they will make choices that benefit everyone in the company, not just the people on top. Fifth, instead of providing billions of dollars in tax breaks to companies that are throwing workers out on the street and replacing them with new technologies, we should enact a robot tax on large corporations and use that revenue to improve the lives of workers who have been harmed in this transition. Bottom line, AI and robotics will bring a profound transformation to our country. Nobody denies that. In my view, we must fight to make sure that these changes benefit all of us and not just a handful of billionaires. Let the debate begin and we need your participation. Thank you very much.