Artificial intelligence and automation could wipe out nearly 100 million jobs in the US over the next decade, according to a report released by Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) on Monday.
The analysis – ironically based on ChatGPT findings – found the new tech could erase jobs from a wide range of fields, including white- and blue-collar roles.
AI, automation and robotics could hit 40% of registered nurses, 47% of truck drivers, 64% of accountants, 65% of teaching assistants and 89% of fast food workers, according to Sanders, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions.
“The agricultural revolution unfolded over thousands of years. The industrial revolution took more than a century,” the report said. “Artificial labor could reshape the economy in less than a decade.”
Debates over AI regulation have been heating up in Washington.
The Trump administration has argued that the US should lead the world in AI development, claiming it could pose a national security threat if China wins the race.
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats are calling for increased regulation on the sector – as well as worker protections like a 32-hour workweek and a “robot tax” on companies switching to automation.
Amazon and Walmart – two of the largest publicly-traded US companies by revenue – have already slashed tens of thousands of jobs as they have leaned into automation efforts.
In an op-ed for Fox News on Monday, Sanders warned that the “artificial intelligence and robotics being developed by these multi-billionaires today will allow corporate America to wipe out tens of millions of decent-paying jobs, cut labor costs and boost profits.”
He argued that AI is simply being used as a tool to further concentrate wealth, nodding to CEOs who have invested billions into automation while announcing mass layoffs and cost-cutting measures.
Sanders warned of a devastating hit to workers in the manufacturing industry, as well as truck, bus and taxi drivers, as automakers and tech startups increasingly ramp up their self-driving projects.
“Some of the very wealthiest people in the world, including Elon Musk, Larry Ellison, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos – are now investing hundreds of billions into these revolutionary technologies,” Sanders wrote in his op-ed.
“Why is 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, healthcare, housing and education? Maybe. But I doubt it.”
“I think it’s because investing in AI and robotics will increase their wealth and power exponentially,” he continued.
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