Blog de Dunlap: It’s time to tax AI

Danielle,

Tech executives are warning that AI could lead to “a level of wealth concentration that will break society” and create a "permanent underclass."

Those are their words.

I refuse to accept that future. And stopping Big Tech from hoarding the benefits of AI will take all of us speaking up together.

So I’ve just called on the government to tax AI and invest in people.

Add your name if you agree: If AI is going to reshape our economy, we need to tax AI-driven wealth and invest in people — not just profits.

I WANT TO TAX AI

AI holds tremendous promise. At the same time, Americans are rightly concerned that AI could further rig our economy.

But I also believe that the winnings from AI must benefit all Americans, rather than channeling them only to the wealthy few.

AI was trained on human creativity and intelligence. It was funded by federal research that taxpayers paid for. And it's powered by data centers built on American land, using our shared electric grid.

The American people deserve to share in that success. But right now, that's not happening.

This technology is creating dozens of tech billionaires while companies lay off workers in the name of AI. And AI data centers are jacking up electricity bills for nearby families — costs have skyrocketed by as much as 267% over the past five years.

Taxing AI will raise the money we need to deliver universal healthcare. So if thousands of workers get fired because of AI, those workers don't go bankrupt just from a doctor's visit.

And if AI transforms the future of work, then taxing AI will give us the resources to invest in things like free college and apprenticeship programs. And a jobs guarantee, so that all Americans can have good-paying work.

And how do we get there?

First, we close the loopholes. Right now our tax code gives corporations a break for investing in AI and penalizes them for hiring humans. That has to end.

Second, pass a wealth tax. Billionaire CEOs shouldn't pay lower tax rates than the workers they fire.

Third, tax AI data centers directly. Trillion-dollar companies can afford it — and a well-designed tax scales with their size. Meaning the larger the data center, the more it pays.

Danielle, do you want to tax AI and really invest in people? Then add your name today to show there’s strong demand for a plan like this.

ADD MY NAME

Thanks for being part of this,

Elizabeth