On Sunday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) criticized Elon Musk’s vision of a “super high IQ” aristocracy, questioning the billionaire’s intentions with technology and wealth distribution.
What Happened: Sanders took to X to express his concerns about Musk’s vision of a superior aristocracy of people with “super high IQs”.
He questioned whether Musk’s goal with technology was to improve life for everyone or to further concentrate wealth and power among the elite.
In a video attached to the post, Sanders said this “aristocracy” who are living an extraordinary life while claiming they know all about technology are “going to be running the world for us.”
Sanders suggested that artificial intelligence holds the potential to improve life for everyone, but emphasized the need to ensure this benefit is realized rather than allowing power to become further concentrated among the elite. He criticized Musk, claiming such concentration is precisely what Musk represents.
“These guys are smart. They are aggressive. They want even more wealth. They want even more power,” said Sanders. He said they were “enormously dangerous.”
Earlier in the video, Sanders singled out Musk for being a part of this new aristocracy but with a difference. “You don’t hear Mr. Musk talking about the need to provide health care to all people as a human right. You don’t hear Mr. Musk talking about the need to make sure that all our people have decent education or live in safe, affordable housing.”
This is not the first time Sanders has criticized Musk. He has previously expressed his disdain for billionaires, including Musk, influencing elections and called for an immediate ban on Super PACs by the Democratic National Committee.
Why It Matters: Sanders’ criticism comes in the wake of President Joe Biden’s farewell address, where he raised concerns about an emerging tech oligarchy and social media's impact on American democracy. This signals potential regulatory headwinds for the technology sector, including companies led by Musk.
Furthermore, Musk’s influence in the political dynamics of President-elect Donald Trump’s team has been a point of contention. His criticism of a bipartisan spending bill during a government shutdown highlighted his outsized role in Trump’s administration. Notably, Sanders’ post comes just a day ahead of Trump being inaugurated as the 47th president.
Despite his criticisms, Sanders has also acknowledged Musk’s initiatives, such as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), co-chaired by Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. He agreed with Musk’s criticism of the Pentagon's $886 billion budget, which had failed its 7th audit in a row.
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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Shivdeep Dhaliwal
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