Bernie Sanders Saw This Coming

What about if we wipe out manufacturing jobs in America? You think that’s a good idea? No, Bernie, I don’t think that’s a good idea.

Should your kid get hooked up with an AI bot? No, Bernie, that’s dangerous. I’m scared about that.

What about having your privacy completely invaded? Is that a good idea? No. I treasure my privacy. All right.

How, in the face of AI, do we deal with all of those issues? If you say to people, “Guess what? You’re working 50 hours a week now, 40 hours a week. We’re gonna lower your work week to 20, 30 hours, and you’re gonna get the same pay. How’s that?”

“Hey, I’m in for that.”

I mean, I’m in for that.

Yeah. Well, so is everybody else.

I do really like working, but point taken.

We’ll allow you to work longer hours.

Thank you.

But if AI is going to create wealth, should that wealth benefit you and everybody else, and my grandchildren? Or just Mr. Musk and his friends? You know, I think 90 percent of the people are on our side in answering that question.

I know you don’t spend much time with the Musks of the world …

I don’t.

You don’t, but you did spend some time with Sam Altman recently. I think you spent an hour together talking, in particular, about the sovereign wealth fund proposal. You said Altman was, quote, “Not enthusiastic about the idea.” You also characterized him as a good politician.

Yeah.

What were your impressions of him when you met?

He’s a smart guy.

Smart guy?

Yeah, very smart guy, and he’s very personable, and I think he’s a good salesman, that’s what he does.

I think a good politician as well. These are smart guys. They were trying to tell us a couple of years ago, “Oh, AI is so great. It’s so wonderful. Everybody’s gonna benefit.” And now they’re seeing people increasingly do not believe that.

So you’re sitting there, you’re Sam, and some of these guys, “Well, what’s your response?”

“Well, what am I gonna … I gotta give the American people something. Guess what? We’re gonna give you 5 percent of the benefits of the thing. ’Cause we’re nice guys. Just out of the goodness of our own heart.”

So they’re gonna have to figure out how they can sell their product and their transformation to the American people, and that’s one way. Trump is the same way. You know, I don’t believe a word that Trump says. But after I made that [sovereign wealth fund] announcement, he came on, “Oh, it’s an interesting idea.”

Is there a world where the Altmans, the tech companies, get there before lawmakers, where they realize that they have such a serious optics problem that they need to do more than they’re doing to appease the American public?

I think you’ll see that happening. But the issue is not just, “OK, you forced me. I’m gonna give you a couple thousand dollars a year. You got it.” The issue is power.