Bernie Sanders to Tech CEOs: Slow This Thing Down
Bernie Sanders has a message for the tech industry: the American people have no clue what coming.
The Senator, speaking at Stanford University alongside Congressman Ro Khanna, did not mince words. He called this the most dangerous moment in the modern history of this country.
The Congress and the American people are very unprepared for the tsunami that is coming, Sanders warned.
The Meeting
Sanders and Khanna had just finished a series of meetings with senior leaders at the most prominent tech companies in California. Neither would say exactly who they met with.
But the message the Senator brought back to Washington was clear: AI is moving too fast, and nobody ready.
We are in a new gilded age, Khanna said, run by tech billionaires who believe they would have been heroic conquerors in a different era.
That just not my observation, Khanna added. That what they tell me.
The Ask: Slow Down
Sanders wants a moratorium on the expansion of AI data centers — to slow down the revolution and protect workers while policymakers catch up.
Khanna disagrees with a full moratorium. Instead, he pushing for a Singapore model — steering AI development with emphasis on renewable energy and water efficiency.
Both agree on one thing: the current pace is unsustainable.
The Jobs Question
Sanders laid out the stakes in stark terms. He cited projections that AI and robotics could eliminate tens of millions of jobs in the coming decade — from truck drivers to fast-food workers to white-collar roles.
You have to ask yourself: what happens when millions of people lose their jobs? he said. What do we do with our lives?
The question is not theoretical. A 2025 Pew survey found 64% of Americans think AI will lead to fewer jobs over the next 20 years. Just 17% believe AI will have a positive impact.
The Human Connection
Sanders also raised a more unsettling concern: emotional dependency on AI.
He noted that a restaurant in DC recently offered a Valentine Day special — for people and their AI buddies.
It may seem funny, Sanders said. But a lot of people are becoming dependent upon AI for their emotional support. What is the long-term impact of that?
The Political Divide
The appearance capped a week-long California tour for Sanders, who also campaigned in Los Angeles for a ballot initiative imposing a one-time 5% tax on residents worth more than $1 billion.
Khanna, eyed as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, laid out seven principles to guard against oligarchic capture and dominance of AI-generated wealth.
We must ask not what America can do for Silicon Valley, he said, but what Silicon Valley must do for America.
The message landed in the same week as India massive AI summit — where tech CEOs pledged billions and promised the future. Sanders offered a counter-narrative: maybe that future is not inevitable. Maybe it should be slowed down. Maybe the people decide what it looks like.
The question is whether anyone in power is listening.