On Thursday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) targeted Jeff Bezos, noting Amazon.com, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) planned $200 billion investment in artificial intelligence and robotics.
Sanders Targets Amazon’s AI And Robotics Push
In a post on X, Sanders argued that Bezos is pouring billions into AI while Amazon replaces workers with machines.
“Jeff Bezos is spending $200 billion on AI and robotics,” Sanders wrote, adding that the company is “replacing hundreds of thousands of his workers at Amazon with robots.”
Last year, internal documents viewed by The New York Times suggested that Amazon is betting that advances in robotics will allow it to avoid expanding its U.S. workforce, potentially substituting as many as 600,000 projected future roles with automation.
Sanders also pointed to Bezos’ ownership of The Washington Post, suggesting a conflict after the newspaper’s editorial board criticized his call for a moratorium on new AI data centers. “What a surprise,” Sanders wrote, noting the paper opposes a pause.
Amazon said during its fourth-quarter earnings call that it expects to invest about $200 billion in capital expenditures in 2026, citing “seminal opportunities like AI.”
Bezos stepped down as Amazon’s CEO in 2021 but continues to serve as the company’s executive chairman.
Big Tech Ramps Up AI Capital Spending In 2026
In addition to Amazon, Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) expects 2026 capital expenditures of $175 billion to $185 billion.
Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) expects 2026 capital expenditures to range from $115 billion to $135 billion, with total annual expenses projected to climb to as much as $169 billion.
Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) reported $37.5 billion in second-quarter CapEx largely tied to AI chips and infrastructure, Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) forecasted more than $20 billion in spending focused on AI compute and factory expansion.
AI Data Centers And Billionaire Tech Spending
Sanders has urged a halt to new AI data center construction, warning that rapid, billionaire-backed AI expansion threatens jobs, democracy and public resources.
He previously singled out tech leaders, including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel and Bill Gates, accusing them of pushing AI for “more wealth and even more power,” rather than protecting working families.
Major tech companies are sharply increasing AI-related capital expenditures, fueling what analysts describe as an infrastructure arms race centered on data centers, advanced chips and automation.
Price Action: Amazon closed at $199.60 on Thursday, down 2.25% and fell another 0.63% in after-hours trading, according to Benzinga Pro.
Amazon shows a weak price trend across short, medium and long-term timeframes and ranks poorly in Momentum, according to Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo Courtesy: Sheila Fitzgerald on Shutterstock.com
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