# Bernie and Bannon unite against AI > Political enemies team up to warn about artificial intelligence risks, reshaping Washington's partisan landscape. - Title: Bernie and Bannon unite against AI · The Atlantic | Shortify - Summary: Political enemies team up to warn about artificial intelligence risks, reshaping Washington's partisan landscape. Shared fear of AI oligarchy is powerful… - Keywords: bernie sanders, steve bannon, artificial intelligence, ai regulation, donald trump, bipartisan coalition, ai safety, political polarization, future of life institute, ai oligarchy, midterm elections, politics - Source: The Atlantic — https://theatlantic.com/politics/2026/09/steve-bannon-bernie-sanders-ai-oligarch/688642 - Author: Toluse Olorunnipa - Published: 2026-09-16T00:09:41+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: bernie sanders, steve bannon, artificial intelligence, ai regulation, donald trump, bipartisan coalition, ai safety, political polarization, future of life institute, ai oligarchy, midterm elections, politics ## Enemies unite on AI threat Bernie Sanders and Steve Bannon spoke on the same stage to warn that artificial intelligence could cause mass economic displacement and human extinction. The unlikely alliance scrambles Washington's partisan landscape weeks before midterms. ## A history of hostility Nearly a decade ago, Sanders urged Trump to fire Bannon and called him a racist. Last year, Bannon insulted Sanders for not attacking Hillary Clinton hard enough. Both set aside their animosity to deliver the same message today. ## The oligarchy problem Sanders said the people must make decisions about AI, not a handful of oligarchs. Bannon echoed the sentiment almost exactly, saying Americans won't be supplicants to oligarchs anymore. > If the lives of every man, woman, and child are going to be fundamentally changed by this technology, then the people of this country must make the decisions about AI, and not just a handful of oligarchs. ## Trump dismisses AI dangers Trump called AI safety concerns a hoax and told Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang that robots won't take over the world. He suggested AI represents the greatest economic opportunity in American history. > The robots are not going to be taking over the world. That's not going to happen. ## Bipartisan legislative push Republican Senators Ted Cruz and John Thune joined Democrat Amy Klobuchar on an AI safety bill. Progressive Richard Blumenthal teamed with conservative Josh Hawley on a bill requiring AI companies to get Department of Energy approval before deploying new systems. ## Sanders criticizes Trump's ignorance Sanders said Trump's ignorance on AI is embarrassing and that the president isn't taking the technology's risks seriously. Bannon acknowledged their disagreement but said they must rise above partisanship. ## Trump attacks AI critics Trump called those concerned about AI dangers conspiracy theorists, traitors, and leakers. He warned against killing the golden goose, framing AI as an economic opportunity rather than a threat. > Don't kill the Golden Goose! ## The Pro-Human Assembly The Future of Life Institute organized an all-day event featuring lawmakers, labor officials, and faith leaders. The nonprofit was funded by a 650 million dollar cryptocurrency donation from Vitalik Buterin in 2021. ## AI experts warn privately Stuart Russell, president of the International Association for Safe and Ethical AI, said his private discussions with AI company officials included even more dire predictions about the technology's dangers than they discuss publicly. ## Political differences remain Republican Representative Chip Roy was the only GOP member to speak at the event. He predicted that political differences will inevitably intrude as the AI debate continues, doubting Bernie's solutions will match his own. ## A historic moment Bannon called the AI debate a hinge in history that requires handling correctly. He emphasized that Americans can never trust what oligarchs say, a sentiment Sanders would surely share. > This is a hinge in history. We have to handle this correctly. ## Key takeaway Shared fear of AI oligarchy is powerful enough to temporarily bridge deep partisan divides, though Trump's opposition to regulation could block meaningful policy changes.