Eugene V. Debs never lived to see ChatGPT, but the socialist labor leader who fought for shorter working hours would probably recognize Bernie Sanders’ latest pitch: If AI is coming for workers anyway, it should help them spend less of their lives at work, not just make billionaires richer.
Last week, Sanders and California Rep. Mark Takano reintroduced the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act, which would lower the standard workweek for nonexempt employees from 40 to 32 hours, thereby pushing employers to shorten schedules or pay overtime for the difference. Sanders, who has advocated for responsible AI use and, more recently, pushed for a pause on AI development, has pointed to the positive benefits he sees stemming from the technology: an ease on American labor.
