A new Senate report warns that artificial intelligence could displace nearly 100 million U.S. jobs within the next decade, spurring Democrats to push for a “robot tax” on companies that replace human workers with tech.
The analysis produced by Democratic staffers on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee was driven by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt).
Partly informed by responses from ChatGPT, 20 major workforce sectors were examined. It was found that 15 could see more than half of their positions replaced by AI systems or robotics.
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The hardest hit, the report says, will be fast food and counter workers, with an estimated 3 million jobs lost, which is about 89% of that workforce.
Other high-risk fields include customer service, freight and material movers, and executive assistants, with projected automation rates above 80%.
The report also urges lawmakers to confront what Sanders has called “an economic crossroads.”
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Central to the proposal is the robot tax, meaning companies would pay a levy for each human position replaced by machines, tech or algorithms.
The funds would help recoup lost payroll taxes and support retraining programs for displaced employees.
Sanders argues the robot tax would balance corporate profits with public responsibility.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates has echoed similar thoughts, suggesting that companies benefiting from automation should “pay their fair share” to mitigate economic disruption.
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The Senate report also outlines a labor agenda including a 32-hour workweek, a $17 federal minimum wage, stronger overtime protections, and worker equity stakes in automated industries.
The authors stress that the impact of AI is “not predetermined” but depends on policy choices made now.
In a Fox News Digital op-ed Monday, Sanders also warned that unregulated automation could “dehumanize” the economy, prioritizing efficiency over dignity.
“We need a world where people live healthier, happier, more fulfilling lives — not one where machines make all the money,” Sanders wrote.
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