Bernie Sanders slams Elon Musk, Bill Gates over AI push: Social media reacts to US senator’s concern for automation

Bernie Sanders has been speaking out against artificial intelligence (AI) for some time now. Now, he has questioned some of the world's richest people about their high-level investments in AI.

The Vermont Senator, while speaking on CNN’s State of the Union, questioned American billionaires like Elon Musk and Bill Gates over their take on AI.

Sanders quoted Musk as saying, “AI and robots will replace all jobs. Working will be optional.” He then quoted Gates as saying, "Humans won't be needed for most things."

The 84-year-old independent politician then asked, “Without jobs and income, how will people feed their families, get health care, or pay the rent?”

Bernie Sanders shared a clip of his comment on social media, and it went viral. Within a few hours, the video garnered 1.8 million views. Social media users responded to his question, with some even suggesting a solution.

“You TAX THE ROBOT LABOR and redistribute to the humans. And the bonus is that robot labour will be deflationary, so the humans will be able to afford more goods and services,” posted one of them.

“We need to decouple our survival from employment via universal basic income and healthcare. We need both of them as a vital foundation underneath all our feet. Also, Universal Basic Income (UBI) should grow as productivity grows. It's the only way of making sure robots literally work for all of us,” commented another user.

Another user suggested, “The only way forward would be with a universal income for all. Jobs and income (money) are a human-made hierarchical construct for control; we're the only species on earth that pays to live here. The rich would also need to come into the fold; otherwise, it wouldn't work. Most people just can't imagine this, because what's come before it's all we've ever known.”

Some Twitter (now X) challenged Bernie Sanders’ take on artificial intelligence.

“This reads like someone hearing “horses will be replaced” and asking how people will travel. Musk isn’t saying value disappears, but explaining that machines create so much of it that work becomes optional, not impossible. When productivity goes to near-zero cost, the question is, why are you still thinking in scarcity models from the 1930s?” asked one of them.

“The failure here isn’t AI. It’s a 20th-century economic model being projected into a 21st-century abundance machine. If productivity goes exponential and humans get poorer, that’s not ‘AI replacing jobs.’ That’s policy failing to evolve,” wrote another user.

What is Universal Basic Income (UBI)?

Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a system where every adult in a country receives a fixed amount of money from the government at regular intervals. It comes with no conditions.

People receive it regardless of whether they have a job, are unemployed or belong to any income group. The main aim is to ensure that everyone has a basic level of financial security.

Bernie Sanders agrees with the goal of protecting people from poverty. But, UBI is not his preferred solution. He believes a Federal Jobs Guarantee is more effective because people generally want meaningful work.

Sanders also argues that raising the minimum wage and strengthening Social Security are better options. He also believes offering universal programmes like Medicare for All is a better way to improve lives. Bernie supports a robot tax to fund support for workers for the risks created by automation.

As of now, no country has introduced full nationwide UBI. The Marshall Islands has started quarterly payments for all residents.

South Korea continues regional pilot schemes. Several US cities have tested guaranteed income programmes to study long-term effects.

UBI in India

The SEWA-UNICEF pilot in rural Madhya Pradesh (2011–2013) tested UBI in India. Over 6,000 people in eight villages were given ₹750 a month for 18 months.

School attendance rose by about 20% because families could afford uniforms, books and travel, according to IMS India. Nutrition improved sharply as spending on pulses and vegetables increased. The share of households that lacked money for food fell from 45% to 19%.

Women gained more financial control, better mobility and safety. Work levels did not fall, and productivity improved. Families invested in farming, skills and small businesses.