Bernie Sanders Asks Elon Musk, Bill Gates This 'Simple Question' Amid Robotics, AI Push: 'How Will People Feed...'

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has slammed Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk, as well as Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) co-founder Bill Gates, for their views on AI and Robotics. How Will People Feed Their Families? Asks Bernie Sanders In a post attached with a video on the social media platform X on Monday, the Vermont Independent questioned the tech industry's AI and Robotics push. He slammed Musk, who is investing "hundreds of billions of dollars" into Robotics and AI, for stating that "AI and robots will replace all jobs. Working will be optional." Musk has long touted the Optimus robot, predicting that it would enable a "universal high income" as well as help mitigate crime. Musk also shared that the Robot could one day perform surgery. The billionaire had also recently shared that AI and Robotics were the only way to make everyone wealthy. He also slammed Gates, who also invested "hundreds of billions of dollars," for saying that "humans won’t be needed for most things" once AI technology progresses further. Sanders then said that he had a "simple question" for the tech industry. "How will people feed their families?" if people had "no income," Sanders asked. He also asked how people would have access to healthcare without a job. "There has not been one serious word of discussion in the Congress about that reality," Sanders said. Elon Musk: "AI and robots will replace all jobs. Working will be optional."Bill Gates: "Humans won't be needed for most things."I have a simple question.Without jobs and income, how will people feed their families, get health care, or pay the rent? pic.twitter.com/lxhsbGdtgl— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) December 29, 2025 Bernie Sanders Questions The Tech Industry This isn't the first time that the lawmaker has questioned Musk. He had earlier asked the billionaire about his roadmap to achieving the "utopia" he had touted, which would be enabled by the push towards developing robotics and AI technology. Sanders also received backing from Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif). Sanders has also expressed opposition to the construction of AI datacenters. He had warned that the push towards AI is posing a threat to people's jobs, democracy, as well as public resources. Musk had also gotten into a heated exchange with Sanders for his opposition to the datacenters, calling him a coward without any "sense of adventure." Tesla scores well on the Momentum metric, while offering satisfactory Quality and Growth, but poor Value. It also has a favorable price trend in the Short, Medium and Long term. For more such insights, sign up for Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings today! Price Action: According to Benzinga Pro data, TSLA declined 3.27% to $459.64 at market close, further declining 0.51% to $457.28 during the after-hours session. Check out more of Benzinga’s Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link. Read Next: Elon Musk Calls Bill Gates A ‘Liar’ — Says Microsoft Cofounder-Backed NGOs Have $80 Billion In Funds Photo courtesy: Shutterstock