On Sunday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) warned that the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) could lead to widespread job losses and called for sweeping policy changes to protect workers if that scenario becomes reality.
Warren Urges AI Safety Nets
In a post on X alongside a video clip of her remarks, Warren posed a hypothetical about how policymakers should respond to AI-driven disruption.
“If you had a magic wand and could say, AI is coming, CEOs are predicting that mass layoffs are coming, what would you do?” she said in the clip.
She argued that such a scenario should prompt structural reforms, including universal health care.
“Your health care should not be dependent on your job,” Warren said, adding that she would support “Medicare for all or universal health care.”
She also called for making post-secondary education “free or nearly free” so displaced workers can retrain without taking on debt, and for strengthening unemployment insurance to help laid-off workers transition to new jobs.
Warren said government spending priorities should shift away from corporate tax cuts toward worker-focused investments.
She also pointed to tech industry leaders who have suggested higher taxes on corporations and capital gains, urging them to back policies consistent with their statements.
Tech Leaders Split On AI Job Loss Fears
Earlier, NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang dismissed predictions that AI could eliminate large numbers of jobs or threaten humanity, calling such views a “god complex.”
He argued AI had already created hundreds of thousands of jobs and would continue to drive hiring as companies grow faster with the technology.
Meanwhile, Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) cut nearly 4,000 jobs as part of a restructuring focused on shifting resources toward AI, security, and networking infrastructure.
The company said the move reflected rising demand for AI-related systems, not cost-cutting, as it repositioned for faster-growing markets.
Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) also said increased AI infrastructure spending contributed to layoffs, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg explaining the company was balancing rising costs between computing investment and staffing.
Meta is expected to cut about 10% of its workforce as part of the adjustment.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock
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