Indian-origin billionaire Vinod Khosla launches blistering attack on U.S. lawmakers Bernie Sanders and Rockana A post on X read: “Bernie Sanders, Ro Khanna warn of potential negative consequences of artificial intelligence. Idiots like Ro Khanna and Bernie Sanders will block everything AI can do to protect their religion. For these socialists/communists, good intentions but bad results are acceptable. ” The article was published after Sanders and Khanna spoke at a public discussion on artificial intelligence at Stanford University.The exchange took place at a Stanford University town hall on February 20, 2026, at which Sanders stated that artificial intelligence is developing faster than existing economic and political systems can sustain. He casts doubt on Silicon Valley’s assertions that artificial intelligence will naturally bring widespread public benefits, saying similar assurances were made during previous waves of technological change when wealth and power became more concentrated. Sanders warned that rapid deployment of artificial intelligence could accelerate job losses and widen inequality if it relies primarily on market forces.Khanna, who represents a district in Silicon Valley, has proposed what he calls a “democratic AI” framework, arguing that current trends in AI favor big tech companies. He said AI systems should prioritize adding workers rather than replacing them, and suggested policy intervention was needed to prevent productivity gains from flowing mainly to businesses. Khanna pointed to the potential uses of artificial intelligence in areas such as health care and clean energy, but he argued those results are not guaranteed and criticized what he said was Silicon Valley’s tendency to resist outside scrutiny.Khosla, the co-founder of Sun Microsystems and a prominent investor in companies focused on artificial intelligence, has repeatedly said that excessive caution and regulation could delay breakthroughs that would improve living standards. In a post in response to the Stanford incident, he attributed lawmakers’ warnings to ideological motivations and said slowdowns in artificial intelligence could impede advances in health care, medical research, drug discovery, education, clean energy, scientific innovation and overall economic productivity, thereby hindering the technology’s broader societal benefits.The incident highlights growing tensions between parts of Silicon Valley and policymakers over how artificial intelligence should be governed, with divisions growing in high-profile public forums and social media platforms.
