Go to hell: Bernie Sanders unites labor leaders in huge push for AI protections and a halt to data center construction growing national
anti-data center sentiment results in protests, bans, and project cancellations

Date:
Fri, 17 Apr 2026 16:05:00 +0000

Description:
Bernie Sanders joined labor leaders to warn of the threat the US workforce is facing from AI.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Pro Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member features. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are
now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Senator Bernie Sanders has told US oligarchs to 'Go to hell' He joined labor leaders in calling for greater worker protection from AI Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez have called for a pause on AI development Senator Bernie Sanders has told oligarchs to Go to hell during a rally, where he united with labor leaders to call on congress for more stringent protections on AI.

AI and robotics are the most consequential and transformational technologies in the history of humanity, Sanders said. What it means is in 10 years, the idea of a manufacturing job will no longer exist, Sanders continued,
referring to Jeff Bezos' plans to purchase and automate factories across the United States. Article continues below You may like 'Congress is way behind where it should be in understanding the nature of this revolution and its impacts': New bill from Bernie Sanders and AOC wants to try and pause US data center construction An ex-programmers devastating take on AI data centers is going viral 'I dont like it when doomers are out scaring people': Nvidia on why AI rhetoric damages America's chances to lead in the AI race AI will
cause sweeping changes In a statement accompanying a video shared online, Sanders said, The same oligarchs who shipped jobs overseas now want to
replace tens of millions of American workers with AI. Our message to them is: Go to hell. The same oligarchs who shipped jobs overseas now want to replace tens of millions of American workers with AI.Our message to them is: Go to hell. https://t.co/PFmWEcmrMW April 16, 2026 The video saw Sanders target Tesla, specifically Elon Musks plans to convert the company to focus on robotics with the plan to build 100 million robots per year. Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman was also in Sanders crosshairs for his prediction that most white collar work will be fully automated by AI within the next 12 to 18 months.

We are looking at sweeping changes to blue collar workers, sweeping changes
to white collar workers, Sanders said. You know who is pushing these technologies? The richest people on earth: Mr. Musk, Mr. Zuckerberg, Mr. Bezos, Mr. Ellison, and others. he added. What they want to do is replace human workers.

New entrants to the job market, especially graduates, are finding it increasingly difficult to find employment as AI tackles the tasks that most new starters would handle upon entering white collar industries. Palantir CEO Alex Karp recently said in an interview , "If you are the kind of person that wouldve gone to Yale, classically high IQ, and you have generalized knowledge but its not specific, youre effed." Are you a pro? Subscribe to our
newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me
with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Growing opposition to data centers The fear that AI threatens jobs isnt a view held solely by Sanders and labor unions. Numerous polls and surveys have found
that the American public is concerned about AI, especially the construction
of new data centers upon which AI models rely.

For example, a Checkr survey found 79% of US workers are worried that
adopting AI will result in pay cuts, and a Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 71% fear AI will be "putting too many people out of work permanently," and an NBC News poll found that almost half (46%) of registered US voters have a
negative view of AI.

The sentiment isnt confined to polls. Voter support for new data centers in Virginia has dropped from 69% in 2023 to 35% in 2026 , with plans for one of the largest data centers ever conceived being abandoned. What to read next OpenAI exec says AI 'doomers' are holding back incredible economic opportunities OpenAI says AI could mean a 4-day week with no loss in pay Iran is threatening to bomb the $30 billion Stargate AI data center

Half of a Missouri city council lost reelection bids after approving a $6 billion data center, and Maine has become the first US state to pass a ban on the construction of new data centers . (Image credit: Data Center Watch) Data Center Watch , a website run by 10a Labs that tracks opposition to data centers, has recorded that $156 billion in data center projects have been blocked in 2025, with opposition to new and existing projects growing on a national scale.

In March, Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez submitted legislation to enact a pause on AI development to safeguard workers, energy prices, and the health and wellbeing of the American public.

"We cannot sit back and allow a handful of billionaire Big Tech oligarchs to make decisions that will reshape our economy, our democracy and the future of humanity," Sanders said following the announcement of the legislation. "We need serious public debate and democratic oversight over this enormously consequential issue. The time for action is now. We need a federal moratorium on AI data centers. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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