US economist and former labour secretary Robert Reich says growing concerns about artificial intelligence are feeding a new debate over jobs, wages and the influence of large technology companies.
In a Guardian opinion column published on 22 September, Reich points to criticism of AI and its datacentres from figures on opposite sides of US politics, including Bernie Sanders and Steve Bannon. He argues that concern about AI is increasingly connected to wider public frustration with corporate power and economic inequality.
Reich cites US Bureau of Labor Statistics data showing that the share of the economy going to workers as wages had fallen to 52.9{0931a9b6576c5d87fe846c236d3725957ace4ff7894c2ecd00b9029ccfe6a5f9} by mid-2026, which he describes as a record low in the series that began in 1947. He argues that the expansion of AI could add to concerns about employment and real wages, although those effects remain a subject of wider economic debate.
The column also highlights public concerns about datacentres and AI. Reich cites polling that he says shows about 70{0931a9b6576c5d87fe846c236d3725957ace4ff7894c2ecd00b9029ccfe6a5f9} of Americans oppose datacentres and more than 60{0931a9b6576c5d87fe846c236d3725957ace4ff7894c2ecd00b9029ccfe6a5f9} believe AI could destroy humanity. These figures are presented in his column as evidence of broader public unease about the technology.
Reich links those concerns to questions about how governments regulate powerful companies, including debates over subsidies, taxation, labour protections, competition policy and the use of public resources for AI infrastructure.
Australia By Aussie has previously covered international debate over AI regulation, including former Australian chief scientist Alan Finkel’s call for greater cooperation between the United States and China. Australia’s earlier coverage of the US-China AI debate examined arguments for international rules as AI capabilities continue to develop.
Reich also points to polling on perceptions of political parties and economic elites, arguing that AI could become an increasingly visible issue in US political debate ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
His article is an opinion column, and its interpretation of AI’s political and economic effects represents Reich’s views. The underlying issues — including employment, wages, datacentre investment and AI regulation — remain subjects of ongoing policy and economic debate.
Source: The Guardian
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