Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) accused major tech billionaires of prioritizing profit over workers as artificial intelligence investment accelerates across the industry.



<h2>Tech Giants Face Criticism Over AI Power</h2>



On Saturday, in a post on X sharing a clip of his interview, Sanders wrote: &#34;Do you think Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos are investing in AI to help the working class of this country?&#34; 



He added, &#34;No, they're in it to accumulate even more wealth and power for themselves. We've got to make AI work for working people, not just for billionaires.&#34;



During the interview, Sanders said AI and robotics are being pushed by powerful tech executives investing hundreds of billions of dollars. 



He questioned whether corporate leaders are concerned about potential job losses.



&#34;You have to understand that AI and robotics are being pushed. Once again, by these same oligarchs, the same exact people.&#34; Sanders said. 



&#34;Do you think that these guys are staying up nights worrying about the working class about the jobs that are going to disappear?&#34; 



He added that automation &#34;can work, but it has got to work for human beings, for ordinary people, for the working people, not just for billionaires.&#34;



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div>
<blockquote>Do you think Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos are investing in AI to help the working class of this country? No, they're in it to accumulate even more wealth and power for themselves. We've got to make AI work for working people, not just for billionaires. pic.twitter.com/kaYqQDzscJ— Sen. Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) February 20, 2026</blockquote>
</div></figure>



<h2>Tech Giants Face Political And Regulatory Scrutiny Over AI</h2>



Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) planned to invest $65 million in 2026 to back state lawmakers supportive of the AI industry, launching two super PACs to influence policy amid concerns over potential regulations that could limit AI development. 



The spending marked its greatest election-related effort and targeted key states like Texas and Illinois, alongside prior political contributions from the company.



Separately, Ireland's privacy regulator opened a formal investigation into Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok over allegations that it mishandled personal data and generated manipulated sexualized images. 



The probe examined compliance with EU data rules after reports surfaced of AI-altered content, prompting further scrutiny from European authorities and Britain's watchdog.



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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Senator Bernie Sanders criticized tech billionaires like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos for prioritizing profit over workers in the growing AI investment sector. He argued that their investments are aimed at accumulating more wealth and power rather than benefiting the working class. Sanders emphasized the need for AI to serve ordinary people, not just billionaires, and raised concerns about potential job losses due to automation. Additionally, Meta Platforms Inc. is planning significant political contributions to influence AI-related policies, while Ireland's privacy regulator is investigating Musk's AI chatbot Grok for data mishandling.

- Senator Bernie Sanders criticized tech billionaires for prioritizing profits from AI investments over the well-being of workers.  
- He questioned whether figures like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos care about job losses resulting from their AI initiatives, arguing that automation should benefit the working class.  
- Meanwhile, Meta Platforms announced a significant political investment to support AI-friendly lawmakers, as scrutiny over AI's compliance with data regulations intensifies.

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Bernie Sanders On AI Investment By Musk, Zuckerberg, Bezos: 'They're In It To Accumulate Even More Wealth And Power For Themselves'