Bernie Sanders proposed a new tax on robots in response to worries that automation technologies are driving people out of work. On CBS’s Meet the Nation on Sunday, Sanders emphasized that he is not anti-technology but wants to make sure that the working class benefits from productivity improvements. The so-called “robot tax” has been proposed by individuals like Bill Gates, a co-founder of Microsoft, or even futurists from the 1980s.
Working people should be involved in the creation of technology that can boost employee productivity, according to Bernie Sanders. He wonders if the worker or the business owner gains more from the technology. The US and the rest of the world are experiencing a transformative time. Sanders discussed giving employees shorter workweeks, a futuristic promise that was taken seriously in the 1960s but hasn’t really materialized in the 21st century. “So, is it awful if we can shorten the workweek? It’s advantageous. But I don’t want the wealthy to be the sole beneficiaries of this technological revolution,” Sanders concluded.
