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Dear Fellow Vermonter,
I wanted to mention to you an issue of enormous consequence that I believe is not getting the attention that it deserves.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics are going to have a profound and transformative impact on our country and the entire world. The question is not whether these technologies will advance. They will. The question is: Who will control this technology? Who will benefit from it? And who will be left behind?
That’s why on Tuesday, at Georgetown University, I sat down with the “Godfather of AI,” Nobel laureate Dr. Geoffrey Hinton, to discuss the extraordinary opportunities and dangers that AI and robotics pose for humanity, the world economy and the working families of Vermont and our country. I’m grateful to Dr. Hinton for joining me, and I hope you’ll take a few moments to watch our conversation.
What should concern us all is that, with the strong support of President Trump, some of the wealthiest people on Earth — including Elon Musk, Larry Ellison, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos — are investing hundreds of billions to advance AI and robotics. What is their goal? Is it to improve life for ordinary people? Is it to provide quality health care for all? Is it to address the existential threat of climate change? Maybe. But I doubt it. My guess is that they simply want to become even richer and more powerful than they are today.
Let me be clear: If we do not act, AI, automation and robotics could be devastating for the working class. Last month, I released a report showing that these technologies could replace nearly 100 million jobs in America over the next decade — including 40% of registered nurses, 47% of truck drivers, 64% of accountants, 65% of teaching assistants and 89% of fast food workers.
But don’t take it from me. Elon Musk said that, as a result of AI and robotics, "probably none of us will have a job…If you want a job that’s kind of like a hobby you can do a job. But otherwise, AI and robotics will provide any goods and services you want." Bill Gates predicted that humans "won’t be needed for most things," such as manufacturing products, delivering packages, or growing food over the next decade due to AI. And during our conversation, Dr. Hinton told me, “the people who lose their jobs won’t have other jobs to go to… it seems very likely to a large amount of people that we will get massive unemployment because of AI.”
If Musk, Gates, and Dr. Hinton are even half right in their predictions, what happens to the tens of millions of Americans who suddenly find that the jobs they held for decades no longer exist? In this brave new world, how do these Americans pay for health care, food, housing and the other necessities of life?
Here is the bottom line: AI and robotics are revolutionary and transformative technologies. They must benefit all of us, not just a handful of billionaires. We do not simply need a more "efficient" society — we need a more just, humane and democratic society where people live healthier, happier and more fulfilling lives.
This is an issue which needs an enormous amount of discussion, and which I intend to focus on in the coming months. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Sincerely,
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