Washington [US], December 30: The Guardian reported on December 29th that US Senator Bernie Sanders continued to criticize artificial intelligence (AI), accusing the financial ambitions of "the world's richest people" of causing economic instability for millions of Americans, and called for a halt to the construction of new data centers.
Senator Sanders (84), an independent Democrat , stated on CNN's State of the Union program that he is "very afraid" of AI . He called it "the most impactful technology in human history" that will "transform" America and the world in ways that have not been fully discussed. "If there are no jobs and people are no longer needed for most things, how will people earn an income to feed their families, pay for healthcare, or pay rent? There has never been a serious discussion in Congress about that reality," Sanders criticized.
The veteran senator said the world's richest people are pushing AI technology, naming billionaires Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg , Jeff Bezos, and Peter Thiel, and questioning their motivations. "Do you think they're staying up late worrying about workers and the impact this technology has on them? Not at all. They're doing it to get richer and more powerful," Sanders alleged. He pointed to studies showing a reliance on AI chatbots for emotional support. "If this trend continues, what does it mean in the coming years when people no longer receive support and interaction from other people, but from a machine? What does that mean for humanity?" he questioned.
In another CNN program, Republican Senator Katie Britt (43) also warned about the harm of AI. In October, she and several other senators introduced bills proposing to restrict children's access to AI tools. Senator Britt said she had met parents who told "heartbreaking stories about their children, in which chatbots ended up isolating them from their parents and talking to them about suicide." According to her, if AI companies can create the world's smartest machines, they could absolutely serve the common good by establishing appropriate barriers, preventing minors from using these tools, and constantly informing users that they are not doctors or psychologists, but simply machines.
The billionaires named by Sanders did not immediately comment. On December 18, Musk wrote on X that "profiteers like Sanders will eventually follow in the footsteps of the creators, but they are also cowardly and lack the adventurous spirit, so they will wait until it's safe."
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper