AI WILL RESHAPE HUMANITY, DEMOCRACY AND JOBS – Us Senator Warns
Lawmakers urged to act as billionaire tech elites drive rapid AI expansion with little democratic oversight
A senior United States senator has issued a stark warning about the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and robotics, cautioning that the technology could fundamentally transform human society while posing unprecedented risks to jobs, democracy and global stability.
Speaking during a public discussion on artificial intelligence, the senator said AI will bring “unimaginable changes” to nearly every aspect of life, including the global economy, politics, warfare, foreign policy, education, emotional well-being and the environment.
“There is a very real fear that in the not-too-distant future, a super-intelligent AI could replace human beings in controlling the planet,” he said, stressing that such concerns are no longer science fiction but are shared by leading experts in the field.
Despite the pace and scale of AI development, the lawmaker lamented what he described as a dangerous lack of public debate and legislative scrutiny.
“AI is getting far too little discussion in Congress, the media, and among the general population,” he said. “That has got to change now.”
As part of an investigation undertaken in his role as a ranking member of the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, the senator recently held a public forum at Georgetown University with Nobel Prize-winning scientist Dr Geoffrey Hinton, widely regarded as the “godfather of AI.”
He disclosed that his office is preparing a detailed set of policy recommendations aimed at addressing what he described as “unprecedented threats” posed by artificial intelligence.
One of the central concerns, he said, is control over the AI revolution.
“Right now, a handful of the wealthiest people on Earth—Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel and others are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in AI and robotics,” he noted. “Are we comfortable with these enormously powerful men shaping the future of humanity without democratic oversight?”
The senator questioned whether the AI revolution is being designed to benefit society at large or simply to concentrate more wealth and power in the hands of a few tech oligarchs. He also criticised efforts to block government regulation, referencing moves to prevent US states from regulating AI development.
Turning to economic impacts, he warned that automation could lead to mass unemployment. A report released by his office estimates that nearly 100 million jobs in the US could be replaced by AI and robotics over the next decade.
Among the most affected professions, he said, could be nurses, truck drivers, accountants, teaching assistants and fast-food workers. He cited statements by tech leaders predicting that “working will be optional” or that humans “won’t be needed for most things.”
“If millions of people lose their jobs, how do they survive? How do they feed their families or pay for housing and healthcare?” he asked, adding that governments appear unprepared for such a scenario.
The senator also raised alarms about democracy and civil liberties, warning that AI could empower surveillance states and erode privacy.
Quoting tech billionaire Larry Ellison, he referenced predictions of a future where citizens are constantly monitored and “on their best behaviour” because everything is recorded.
“If every phone call, email, text and internet search is accessible to the owners of AI, how do we sustain democracy under those conditions?” he asked.
He concluded by urging urgent action, warning that the decisions made now will determine whether artificial intelligence becomes a tool for shared prosperity or a force that deepens inequality, undermines freedom and places humanity’s future in the hands of a powerful few.
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