A new Senate report projects that artificial intelligence and automation could eliminate as many as 100 million jobs across the United States in the next decade. The analysis—commissioned by Senator Bernie Sanders and supported by the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee—identifies both white- and blue-collar roles as highly vulnerable.
According to the report’s findings, the risk extends broadly across sectors. For example, up to 40% of nurses’ jobs could be affected, while truck drivers might see up to 47% displacement. Accountants, teaching assistants, and fast food workers also face significant exposure, with projected impacts of 64%, 65%, and 89% respectively.
The report emphasizes how quickly AI could transform labor markets—arguing that unlike past technological revolutions which unfolded over decades or centuries, “artificial labor” may reshape the economy in under ten years. To address this potential upheaval, proposed policy responses include a “robot tax” on large corporations, a shift toward a 32-hour workweek, stronger protections for organized labor, and redistribution tools to support displaced workers.
The findings are intensifying debate in Washington over how to balance innovation with worker protections. As automation accelerates, lawmakers will face mounting pressure to design systems that both foster technological progress and safeguard livelihoods.
