DC, Silicon Valley brace for AI job losses

Washington, Silicon Valley brace for AI job losses

Washington and Silicon Valley are bracing for the fallout from AI’s potential displacement of workers, floating everything from transition assistance to universal basic income as Americans express growing discontent with the technology.

© AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

AI leaders have long warned the technology could disrupt the labor market, with predictions varying from a so-called jobs apocalypse to more mild scenarios where AI changes the nature of work without triggering mass layoffs.

But as Americans become increasingly worried about what AI might mean for their futures in an uncertain economy, politicians and tech titans alike are searching for viable solutions.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called for an overhaul of the U.S. tax system last week, arguing the federal government should tax AI companies in order to ensure the “winnings from AI benefit all Americans, rather than channeling them only to the wealthy few.”

“If millions of people lose their jobs to AI, we’ll need the funds to deliver universal health care so those workers are not bankrupted by a visit to the doctor,” she wrote in a Time op-ed.

Warren proposed taxing AI companies directly, including via data centers, as well as updating corporate taxes and establishing a wealth tax.

This idea is gaining traction with other progressive politicians. Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, penned an op-ed in........

© The Hill