Bernie Sanders Calls AI a Threat to American Values

In a piece published Thursday in The Wall Street Journal, the Vermont independent warned that the current trajectory of AI development risks displacing human labor and eroding social connections. He pointed to figures like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and Larry Ellison, suggesting their massive investments are designed to maximize corporate dominance at the expense of ordinary citizens. Sanders questioned the viability of an economy where machines perform the most valuable labor, asking how families are expected to survive if human work is rendered obsolete.

Beyond the economic fallout, Sanders highlighted the psychological impact of AI, citing data showing that 72% of U.S. teenagers have engaged with AI companions. He argued that these digital relationships risk deepening human isolation. To counter these trends, he criticized the $185 million currently funneled into lobbying efforts by the AI industry, which he claims effectively muzzles congressional oversight. Sanders recently joined Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in proposing a moratorium on new AI data center construction, seeking to establish federal safeguards for privacy, civil rights, and labor protections before the technology reshapes society further.