‘AI revolution is coming fast & US has no clue,’ Bernie Sanders warns of speed of disruption

When it comes to artificial intelligence, US senator Bernie Sanders has always warned of its potentially powerful impacts on humanity.

Speaking at Stanford University on Friday, Sanders has sounded alarm over the speed and scale of AI-driven disruption. The more worrisome is his claim that “the American public has not a clue about the intensity of the coming AI revolution.”

Bluntly, the senator called this revolution “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,” he said.

Sanders also highlighted the growing toll of AI on the emotional and economic well being of the public. The people are growing emotionally dependent on AI chatbots which he called an “AI buddy” phenomenon.

Moreover, the AI-driven tsunami will also trigger massive job disruption and displacement. Millions of jobs are at risk, ranging from blue-collar jobs to high-level white-collar positions.

According to a 2025 Pew survey, 64 percent of the public thinks AI “will lead to fewer jobs over the next 20 years”.

According to Sanders, “AI and robotics will radically transform our economic, political and military systems within a few years. They will redefine what it means to be human.”

The congressman also criticised the billionaires for pushing the AI agenda at breakneck speed by pouring massive investments.

These unprecedented speed and scale of the changes threaten to enrich the multibillionaires, while deepening inequality and leaving policymakers and the public ill-equipped to mount a response in time,” he said.

During the address, he also called for policy action on urgent basis to “slow this thing down” in the midst of surging competition among the tech giants.

He also reissued his call for a moratorium on the AI data centers boom, aiming to slow down the revolution and protect workers.

“AI and robotics are neither good nor bad. The question is: will a handful of billionaires benefit from it, or will the general public benefit?” he asked.