Bernie Sanders Slams Larry Ellison's AI Vision As Threat To Democracy: 'This Is The Second Wealthiest Guy On Earth...'
On Tuesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) raised an alarm, criticizing comments by Oracle Corp (NYSE:ORCL) CTO Larry Ellison about the future of artificial intelligence.
Sanders Warns Of AI Surveillance State
"Larry Ellison … predicts an AI surveillance state where ‘we're constantly recording and reporting everything,'" Sanders wrote, asking whether Americans are headed toward a world where private communications are tracked by billionaires.
In a video message, he questioned whether AI would produce "a freer, more democratic society" or empower "the oligarchs who control the technology."
Privacy, Democracy, AI Power At Center Of Debate
Sanders warned that if AI systems make phone calls, emails, texts and internet activity accessible to private owners, democratic systems could be undermined.
"How do we sustain a democracy under those conditions? How do we protect our privacy?" he said in the video.
Larry Ellison's Oracle Surveillance Vision Resurfaces
Sanders' post referenced remarks Ellison made at Oracle's financial analyst meeting in September 2024, where he predicted AI would process massive volumes of video from cameras embedded in cars, homes and police equipment.
"We're going to have supervision," Ellison said. "Every police officer is going to be supervised at all times, and if there's a problem, AI will report that problem and report it to the appropriate person. Citizens will be on their best behavior because we are constantly recording and reporting everything that's going on."
Ellison, the founder and largest shareholder of Oracle, has a net worth of $281 billion, making him the second-richest person on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, behind Elon Musk.
Oracle Earnings Loom As Political Scrutiny Grows
The comments come as Oracle is scheduled to report quarterly earnings on Wednesday after the market close. Wall Street expects revenue of about $16.22 billion and earnings of $1.64 per share, according to consensus estimates.
In September, Oracle posted first-quarter revenue of $12.45 billion, up 9% from a year ago and just shy of the Street's $12.46 billion consensus.
Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings indicate that ORCL could encounter short and medium-term challenges, even as its long-term outlook remains strong. Additional performance details are available here.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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