Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins/Futurism. Source: Nathan Howard/Getty Images
While some anti-AI advocates have called for some extreme property damage to stop the AI boom, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has a proposal that’s a little more toned down: just shut it down until we figure out what the hell is going on.
In a video shared on social mediaSanders announced that he would push for “a moratorium on the construction of data centers that are powering the unregulated sprint to develop and deploy AI.”
Their main argument is that society needs to slow down the rapid deployment of new technology, and ask an important question: who benefits?
“Let us be clear: AI and robotics are the most transformative technologies in the history of humanity,” Sanders declared. “We just need to consider a few points: One, who is aggressively pursuing these technologies? Well, surprise, surprise, it’s the richest people on Earth.”
Sanders’ call comes at a time when AI-related capital spending accounts for nearly half of U.S. GDP growth over the year, as lower-income Americans purchasing power decreased And vehicle repossession Reaching levels equivalent to the Great Depression.
“Do you believe that these people, these multi-billionaires, are staying up at night worrying about what AI and robotics will do to working families in our country and the world?” Sanders continues. “I don’t think so. I think these very rich men want even more money and even more power.”
“Question: If AI and robotics eliminate millions of jobs and create mass unemployment, how will people survive if they have no income?” Vermont senator challenges. “Very few members of Congress are thinking seriously about this.”
Sanders also cites users’ growing emotional dependence on AI chatbots, as well as the selfish ambitions of billionaires like Elon Musk, Bill Gates and Dario Amodei.
“One thing’s for sure: This process is moving very, very, fast and we need to slow it down,” Sanders said. “This moratorium will give democracies a chance to capture these transformational changes we are seeing, and ensure that the benefits of these technologies work for all of us, not just the wealthiest people on Earth.”
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