America's top diplomat has issued one of the clearest US government warnings yet about the societal consequences of artificial intelligence of artificial intelligence, telling Congress that the technology's disruption of white-collar employment is not merely an economic problem but a political crisis in the making.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered the warning on 2 June 2026 while testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the State Department's fiscal year 2027 budget request of £25.7 billion ($33.6 billion). The hearing, which also covered the ongoing Iran conflict and foreign aid cuts, took a notable turn when Rubio addressed artificial intelligence with a candour rarely heard from senior Trump administration officials.
