‘Slow this thing down’: Sanders warns US has no clue about speed and scale of coming AI revolution | US news

Bernie Sanders has warned that Congress and the American public have “no idea” about the size and pace of the coming AI revolution and has pressed for urgent policy action to “slow this thing down” as tech companies race to build increasingly powerful systems.

Speaking with Congressman Ro Khanna at Stanford University on Friday after a series of meetings with industry leaders in California, Sanders was blunt about what he called “the most dangerous moment in the modern history of this country.”

“Congress and the American people are very unprepared for the coming tsunami,” he said.

Khanna, a progressive Democrat who represents Silicon Valley, shared Sanders’ concerns, warning that the country is experiencing a “new gilded age” ruled by tech billionaires who believe they “will be heroic conquerors in a different age.”

“This is not my observation,” Khanna said. “That’s what they tell me.”

Khanna and Sanders declined to specify which tech executives they met with during the senator’s visit to California, but the congressman said they were “senior leaders” at “the most prominent tech companies.”

“I think it’s important for both Senator Sanders to hear from tech leaders and for tech leaders to hear from Senator Sanders, who represents and understands the concerns of many working-class Americans,” Khanna said in an interview after the event.

During his speech, Sanders reiterated his call for a moratorium on the expansion of AI data centers to “slow the revolution and protect workers” while policymakers catch up.

Hanna he doesn’t want a moratorium, but instead pushed for the US to “lead” AI, arguing that it adopt a “Singapore model” for data center growth that emphasizes renewable energy and water efficiency. In a speech before an auditorium of mostly students, Khanna outlined seven principles to guard against “oligarchic capture and domination” of the wealth created by AI innovation.

“We should be asking not what America can do for Silicon Valley, but what Silicon Valley should do for America,” said the congressman, who is considering a 2028 presidential bid.

The event capped a one-day visit to California, the state he won in the 2020 presidential primaries and from which he returned last year to rally thousands during his Anti-Oligarchy tour. In Los Angeles on Wednesday, Sanders delivered a scathing condemnation of the “greed” of the billionaire class. There, he helped launch a formal campaign for a ballot initiative that would impose a one-time 5% tax on residents with more than $1 billion in wealth; This proposal has caused some ultra-rich tech leaders to flee or threaten to do so.

At Stanford, Sanders focused on his concerns about how AI would impact not just the workforce but personal well-being and people’s ability to interact with each other. He noted that a restaurant in D.C. was offering a special Valentine’s Day event for humans and their “AI friends,” which had students laughing.

It may seem funny, Sanders said, “but the reality is that many people are becoming dependent on AI for emotional support. What is the long-term impact of that? What is the long-term impact if we lose our jobs, which are an important part of our lives? What do we do with our lives?”

Sanders read statements from industry leaders who predict widespread automation and touched on predictions that artificial intelligence and robotics could eliminate tens of millions of jobs over the next decade, from truck drivers to fast food workers to many white-collar positions.

Polls have found that Americans are deeply concerned as federal regulators and states debate how to impose guardrails on the nascent but rapidly evolving technology. A. 2025 Pew survey 64 percent of the public think artificial intelligence will “lead to fewer jobs in the next 20 years.” Only 17% of Americans say “AI will have a very positive impact on the United States” during the same period.

Tech CEOs leading the AI ​​race have argued that AI will spur productivity, innovation and new types of employment, as technological advancements always do. But critics like Sanders say the “unprecedented” speed and scale of the changes threaten to enrich “multibillionaires,” deepen inequality and leave policymakers and the public ill-equipped to respond in a timely manner.

Sander called on his colleagues in Washington and the public to engage in a serious public debate about the future of work as artificial intelligence disrupts the economy, democracy and people’s emotional lives.

“AI and robotics are neither good nor bad,” he said. “The question is: Will a handful of billionaires benefit from this, or will the general public benefit?”