AI and Humanity: Reflecting on Mr. Bernie Sander's Thoughts

“Technology ought to work for working people, not just the people who own the technology.” — Bernie Sanders (TechCrunch)

Robots, algorithms and artificial intelligence are not merely replacing human jobs — they threaten to erode the very fabric of our humanity. In a world where machines become ubiquitous, the void left by human purpose may not just be felt, it may be permanent.

1. The Productivity-Surplus Paradox

With advanced robotics and AI, production capacity surges, costs plummet, and corporate profits soar. But here’s the rub: the incomes of most people do not rise in parallel. The result? An economy flooded with goods that large swathes of society cannot afford to buy.

The gap between what is made and what people can consume widens.

Automation may lead to large numbers of people losing wage-income even as production rises.

Unless the social contract is rebuilt, the equation “lots of produce + few with buying power” turns into a systemic failure.

2. We Are Entering a Civilisational Stress Test

Humanity has always evolved by way of error, suffering, correction, and then renewal. This time, our reckoning is not just moral or environmental — it is structural.

If time allows, societies absorb shocks, rebuild institutions, and bounce back.

If the pace of machine-led change outstrips societal adaptation, we may never “circle back”.

The existential question becomes: what happens when work no longer defines us? What replaces it?

3. Social Balance at Risk

When machines produce more, do humans earn more? Not necessarily. The risk is dual: overproduction and under-distribution.

A society that makes more than it can afford to let its citizens buy is inherently unstable.

Without corrective policy — income redistribution, new models of work, shared ownership — the logic of “efficiency for efficiency’s sake” destroys rather than liberates.

As Sanders put it: the technology revolution must benefit ordinary people, “not just a handful of billionaires.” (The Times of India)

4. Towards a Responsible Horizon

We must redesign not just our machines but our social contracts and institutions. Key priorities include:

• Re-defining work: Recognise human value beyond wage-labour.

• Re-structuring income: Ensure that gains from automation are shared widely.

• Cultivating meaning: Preserve what it means to be human in a machine-dominated age.

Time justice: If machines produce more output, workers should gain more freedom — as Sanders argues when he says the work-week should shorten, not jobs disappear. (India Today)

My propositions may sound speculative: but they sit right at the heart of our coming era. If robots simply replace people but society fails to redistribute the gains, we will face a profound void — not just of jobs, but of purpose. The only way back is by evolving our humanity in tandem with our machines.