On Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance warned that artificial intelligence (AI) could unleash major economic growth but said workers must have a role in shaping the distribution of wealth created by the technology.
Vance Calls For Worker Power In AI Economy
In a post on X, Vance shared a clip from his appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, highlighting concerns about AI’s impact on workers and the economy.
He wrote: "There has to be a middle way…and part of that solution is to give workers a say in what’s going on, give normal people some power in this system."
During the interview, Vance acknowledged fears that AI could replace jobs, particularly in specialized fields, but said he believes the bigger challenge is ensuring that the economic benefits of AI are broadly shared.
He compared the AI revolution to the Industrial Revolution, arguing that technological change historically has displaced some workers while also creating new opportunities.
"Did the Industrial Revolution displace or change a lot of jobs? Yes. It also created a lot of jobs that didn’t exist before," Vance said.
However, he warned that past periods of rapid economic transformation also created severe inequality.
Vance said the key issue with AI is not only job disruption but whether ordinary Americans have control over the economic gains created by the technology.
"The fundamental question is how do you ensure that normal people have some control over what their kids are seeing, control over the economic forces that are being unleashed by AI," he said.
VP Vance on AI and the importance of giving workers a voice in their own wealth creation:
— Vice President JD Vance (@VP) July 15, 2026
"There has to be a middle way…and part of that solution is to give workers a say in what's going on, give normal people some power in this system." pic.twitter.com/x8QwXCexHX
AI’s Economic Impact
Earlier, nearly 200 experts, including Nobel laureates, AI company economists and tech leaders, warned that AI’s transformation could surpass the Industrial Revolution in scale, creating economic gains while also causing workforce disruption.
They urged policymakers to develop safeguards and policies to ensure AI benefited society and complemented human workers.
ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood said AI-driven productivity gains could help lower long-term interest rates if companies passed efficiency improvements to consumers through lower prices.
She said AI was becoming an important factor influencing inflation and economic growth.
Meanwhile, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) introduced the "Aging With AI Act" to study how AI tools, including chatbots, were affecting older adults.
Kelly said the research would help identify AI’s benefits while addressing risks such as scams and fraud targeting seniors.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
