In response, Democrats are calling for new policies such as a “robot tax” to offset the economic damage.
The report, released Monday by Democratic staffers on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), says automation could reshape the American workforce far faster than previous technological revolutions.
“The agricultural revolution unfolded over thousands of years. The industrial revolution took more than a century,” the report said. “Artificial labor could reshape the economy in less than a decade.”
The findings, based in part on data from ChatGPT, examined 20 major employment sectors and concluded that 15 could see over half of their jobs replaced by machines, algorithms, or robotics.
The fast-food industry is expected to be hit hardest, with an estimated 89 percent of counter service jobs at risk, roughly 3 million positions nationwide. Other heavily impacted sectors include customer service, executive assistants, freight and material movers, and truck drivers, many of which are projected to see automation levels above 80 percent.
The threat extends beyond blue-collar roles. The analysis estimates that 40 percent of registered nurses, 47 percent of truck drivers, 64 percent of accountants, and 65 percent of teaching assistants could also see their positions automated in the coming years.
Sanders warned that manufacturing jobs, as well as bus and taxi driving positions, are especially vulnerable as companies race toward self-driving technology.
Democrats are pushing for a sweeping policy response. At the center of their agenda is a proposed “robot tax,” which would require companies to pay a levy for every human job replaced by AI or automation.
Supporters say the tax would recover lost payroll revenue and fund retraining programs for displaced workers. Sanders argues the measure would balance corporate profits with public responsibility.
The proposal is part of a broader labor agenda that includes a 32-hour workweek, a $17 federal minimum wage, stronger overtime protections, and employee equity stakes in industries transformed by automation. “We need a world where people live healthier, happier, more fulfilling lives, not one where machines make all the money,” Sanders wrote in a Fox News op-ed.
Critics, including many in the Trump administration, argue the United States should instead focus on leading AI development globally. They warn that if China dominates the technology, it could create a national security threat. But Sanders insists that unchecked automation risks “dehumanizing” the economy and further concentrating wealth in the hands of a few.
He pointed to Amazon and Walmart, both of which have cut tens of thousands of jobs while expanding automation, as examples of corporate America using technology to slash labor costs and boost profits.
“Some of the very wealthiest people in the world, including Elon Musk, Larry Ellison, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos, are now investing hundreds of billions into these revolutionary technologies,” Sanders wrote. “I think it’s because investing in AI and robotics will increase their wealth and power exponentially.”
As lawmakers debate the future of automation, the Senate report makes clear that the stakes could not be higher. Whether the coming decade leads to unprecedented prosperity or widespread economic disruption will depend, it argues, on the policy choices made today.