Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) criticized AI industry leaders over their political spending, arguing that warnings about AI risks should be matched by support for lawmakers seeking stronger regulation.
Sanders Targets AI Super PAC Spending
On Wednesday, in a post on X, Sanders said, "If AI CEOs seriously believe that AI is a real danger, they should not be spending hundreds of millions of dollars through their super PACs to defeat candidates and members of Congress who want to regulate it."
In the CNN interview, Sanders said the AI industry was controlled by a few rich people, naming some including Larry Ellison, Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk. "We have an industry of extraordinary importance, the AI industry, which is controlled by a handful of the richest people in the world," Sanders added.
Sanders Calls For AI Regulation
Sanders argued that AI executives have only recently begun addressing the potential implications of the technology and criticized their political spending.
"They are contributing hundreds of millions of dollars through their super PACs to prevent, I think, Congress from doing the right thing," Sanders said.
Sanders argued that AI executives should align their political actions with their warnings about the technology.
"If they’re going to be honest about it and if they’re telling the American people that this is a real danger, then you should not be spending money trying to defeat candidates and members of Congress who want to do something about it," Sanders noted.
Trump Appointed Tech Executives to AI Council
In March, President Donald Trump appointed 13 technology executives to a presidential council advising the White House on AI policy, export controls and science strategy.
The council included executives from Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA), Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META), Oracle Corp. (NYSE:ORCL), Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD), Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) and Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE:DELL), along with venture capitalist Marc Andreessen.
Several members or their companies had also contributed to Trump-aligned political efforts. The council’s composition also drew attention for its focus on industry leaders rather than AI safety researchers, academics, or civil society representatives.
AI Power and Political Influence
Last month, Musk reportedly planned to spend $100 million to $120 million through America PAC to support Republican candidates in the 2026 midterm elections, after donating nearly $250 million to Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign.
Earlier this year, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warned that AI power and wealth were becoming concentrated among a small group of companies, raising concerns about their growing economic and political influence.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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