AI Could Eliminate 100 Million U.S. Jobs in a Decade: Report

Senator Bernie Sanders is raising red flags over the accelerating rise of artificial intelligence, warning in a new report that AI and automation could wipe out up to 100 million jobs across the United States within the next ten years — devastating both blue- and white-collar industries.

The report, released Monday by Sanders as ranking member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions, draws on data compiled from ChatGPT and other emerging AI models. It paints a bleak picture: millions of working-class Americans replaced by algorithms, robots, and automated systems at a pace far faster than any prior technological revolution.

“The agricultural revolution unfolded over thousands of years. The industrial revolution took more than a century,” the report reads. “Artificial labor could reshape the economy in less than a decade.”

Among the professions facing the highest risk of disruption:

• 89% of fast food workers

• 65% of teaching assistants

• 64% of accountants

• 47% of truck drivers

• 40% of registered nurses

That level of displacement, Sanders argues, would trigger an unprecedented labor crisis, particularly in industries already dealing with stagnant wages and job insecurity. He is calling for aggressive legislative action — including a 32-hour workweek, mandatory worker retraining programs, and a so-called “robot tax” on corporations replacing human employees with machines.

In an op-ed for Fox News, Sanders blasted corporate giants like Amazon and Walmart, who’ve laid off tens of thousands of workers while investing heavily in automation. He accused CEOs of prioritizing shareholder profits over human dignity. “The artificial intelligence and robotics being developed by these multi-billionaires today will allow corporate America to wipe out tens of millions of decent-paying jobs, cut labor costs and boost profits,” he wrote.

The report arrives amid a growing divide in Washington over how to handle the AI revolution. The Trump administration has rejected sweeping regulation, instead framing AI development as a matter of national security and insisting the U.S. must beat China in the tech arms race.

“We cannot let China define the future of AI,” Trump said at a recent event. “We will lead — with common sense, innovation, and strength. But we won’t strangle our own economy to do it.”

While Trump’s policy centers on AI expansion, Sanders and Senate Democrats are increasingly pushing for regulatory guardrails, warning that without them, the fallout will be catastrophic for workers.

Sanders also questioned the motives of Big Tech billionaires pouring hundreds of billions into AI development. “Is it because they want to improve the standard of living of the 60% of our people who live paycheck to paycheck?” he asked rhetorically. “Maybe. But I doubt it.”

Citing names like Elon Musk, Larry Ellison, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg, Sanders argued that their true motivation is clear: consolidation of wealth and power.

With layoffs already rippling through sectors from warehousing to customer service to logistics, the report suggests that the transformation is already underway — and that workers across all industries should be paying close attention.

As Sanders put it bluntly: “This is not just about technology. It’s about power — and who gets to wield it in the economy of the future.”