U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders on Tuesday called on Amazon.com Inc founder Jeff Bezos to explain what he described as potentially massive job losses stemming from the company’s automation and artificial intelligence plans.
According to a letter exclusively reviewed by Reuters, Sanders warned that if Amazon succeeds with its “massive automation plan,” it could have a profound impact on blue-collar workers across the United States and may serve as a model for other large corporations.
The Vermont independent referred to a New York Times, cited by Reuters, report indicating that Amazon executives believe as many as 500,000 jobs could eventually be replaced by robots in the company’s warehouses. Amazon employs roughly 1.55 million people, the majority of them hourly workers.
“What are Amazon’s plans to provide help and support for the many hundreds of thousands of workers you’ll be replacing with robots and AI?” Sanders asked, referring to artificial intelligence software.
According to Reuters, Amazon did not immediately respond to the request for comment. The company has previously said its automation efforts are designed to assist workers and create new jobs rather than eliminate them.
The letter follows a report on Monday that Amazon plans to cut as many as 30,000 corporate positions beginning this week, with an initial 14,000 layoffs tied in part to efficiency gains from its use of AI.
Jeff Bezos, now executive chairman, stepped back from day-to-day operations in 2021 when Andy Jassy became chief executive. Earlier this year, Jassy said AI advancements would likely shrink the corporate workforce at the Seattle-based company.
Sanders, who has frequently clashed with Amazon over working conditions and what he calls anti-union tactics, said the company’s latest automation drive raises broader questions about the future of work and corporate accountability in the AI era.
