Bernie Sanders Slams Amazon For Replacing Workers With Automation: ‘Maybe It’s Time To Tax Robots’
The Vermont Senator suggested “taxing” robots and using the revenue to support working families affected by job losses.
United States Senator Bernie Sanders on Tuesday renewed his criticism of large corporations, such as Amazon, for replacing human workers with robots. In a post on social media platform X, Sanders said companies like Amazon choose automation because robots do not require wages or health, arguing that this shift is hurting workers.
“Why would corporations like Amazon replace workers with robots? Pretty simple. Robots don’t need a wage, health care, time off, sick leave, Social Security, Medicare or unemployment benefits,” he said.
The Vermont Senator suggested “taxing” robots and using the revenue to support working families affected by job losses.
“Maybe it’s time to tax robots & use the revenue generated to help working families,” he added.
His comments come amid growing debate over automation, artificial intelligence and their impact on employment.
On Sunday, Bernie Sanders linked the financial ambitions of “the richest people in the world” to growing economic insecurity for millions of Americans.
“If there are no jobs and humans won’t be needed for most things, how do people get an income to feed their families, to get healthcare or to pay the rent?” Sanders said. “There’s not been one serious word of discussion in the Congress about that reality,” the Vermont independent who caucuses with the Democratic party was cited as saying by the Guardian.
Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union, he said he was “fearful of a lot” when it comes to AI. Sanders also called AI the most consequential technology in human history. He added that the push for AI is being led by “the richest people in the world,” questioning the motives of Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and Peter Thiel.
“You think they’re staying up nights worrying about working people and how this technology will impact those people?” Sanders said. “They are not. They are doing it to get richer and even more powerful.”
Sanders added that Congress needed to study AI’s mental health impact and urged lawmakers to consider a moratorium on new AI data centres.
“Frankly, I think you have got to slow this process down,” he said. “It’s not good enough for the oligarchs to tell us, it’s coming, you adapt. What are they talking about? Are they going to guarantee health care to all people? What are they going to do when people have no jobs?...” he added.
