U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders is raising alarms over the future of work in the age of artificial intelligence, warning that the rapid rise of AI and robotics could upend millions of American jobs and reshape society faster than lawmakers are prepared for.
In a clip shared on X, Sanders pointed to comments from some of the biggest names in tech, including Elon Musk, Mustafa Suleyman, Dario Amodei, Alex Karp, and Sam Altman, arguing that even the people building AI are openly warning about massive disruption ahead.
As the caption on the social post stated, “Elon Musk: ‘AI and robots will replace all jobs.’ Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft: Most white-collar work ‘will be fully automated’ in 12-18 months. Dario Amodei, Anthropic: AI is a ‘general labor substitute for humans.’ Congress must act NOW to protect American workers.”
“Elon Musk, you know, who I don’t like and disagree with on everything, he’s not a dumb guy. And he says that work will become optional, that AI and robots will do everything that you need,” Sanders said in the video.
Musk had previously stated at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum 2025 that according to his prediction, “work will be optional.”
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Sanders questioned what happens to workers and the broader economy if that prediction becomes reality.
“Well, if AI and robots do everything, work is optional, how do you survive? Oh, you’re going to get a check, really? But there is no government because you’re not paying any taxes, right? What happens to Social Security? What happens to Medicare and Medicaid?” Sanders asked.
He added, “And who’s going to determine the check that you get, really? How much are you going to get? How much am I going to get?”
The Vermont senator’s comments come as the debate over AI’s impact on employment intensifies across the tech and political worlds. Some AI executives have predicted that automation could rapidly replace large sections of the workforce, especially in entry-level white-collar jobs, programming, customer support, and data-related roles.
Sanders referenced those concerns while urging Congress to move faster on worker protections and regulations around AI deployment. He has backed ideas such as pausing new AI data center expansion until safeguards for workers and communities are put in place.
The video Sanders shared also included footage of Karp speaking at the World Economic Forum, where the Palantir Technologies CEO said, “It will destroy humanity’s jobs of like, you know, you went to an elite school and you studied philosophy, use myself as an example.”
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Altman, whose company OpenAI helped ignite the generative AI boom, was also featured saying, “See a future where intelligence is a utility, like electricity or water, and people buy it from us.”
Musk, meanwhile, was shown speculating about a future where “Money will stop being relevant at some point in the future…? I mean, it’ll be like playing sports or a video game or something like that.”
For Sanders, the issue goes beyond economics. He argued that work gives people a sense of purpose, identity, and community that cannot simply be replaced by government payments or endless entertainment.
“I am at work. Today, you know, God knows over 100 million Americans are at work. It’s an important part of their lives,” Sanders said.
“Deep down, we all want to contribute, whether a janitor or a brain surgeon, to our community, right? You know, you take it for granted, but you meet people at work. It’s part of your life. Oh, guess what? In X number of years, you don’t have to work.”
“You’re going to sit around watching Elon Musk’s videos? Is that the meaning of life? Have we even begun to have that serious discussion?” Sanders questioned.