Senator Bernie Sanders is back with another round of criticism aimed at Silicon Valley's biggest players, and this time he's questioning whether the tech industry's massive bet on artificial intelligence and robotics is really about progress or just profit.

Billionaires and Their Robot Dreams

In a video posted to X over the weekend, the Vermont Independent didn't hold back. He called out some of the biggest names in tech, including Tesla Inc. (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk, Nvidia Corp (NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang, Meta Platforms Inc. (META) CEO Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, billionaire Jeff Bezos, and Palantir Technologies Inc. (PLTR) co-founder Peter Thiel.

"Multi-multi-billionaires are pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into implementing and developing this technology," Sanders said in the video, raising questions about what's really driving all this investment.

"You think they're staying up nights worrying about working people?" Sanders asked rhetorically. His answer? They're not.

To illustrate his point, the video featured footage of Hyundai Motor Group's plans to use Boston Dynamics' Atlas humanoid robot. The automaker intends to deploy these robots at its facilities starting in 2028, initially for parts sequencing tasks before expanding to more complex operations.

"The function of technology must be to improve human life, not just line the pockets of billionaires," Sanders wrote in his post.

A Consistent Critic

This isn't Sanders' first rodeo criticizing automation and AI. The senator has been vocal about these issues on multiple occasions, even warning that the world might not be far from seeing robotic soldiers deployed in future conflicts.

He's also taken specific aim at Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN), arguing that the e-commerce giant plans to replace human workers with robots to boost profits while sidestepping the costs that come with human employees. After all, robots don't need time off, wages, or health benefits.

Sanders has even sparred directly with Musk, challenging the billionaire to explain his roadmap for achieving the "utopia" Musk has promised through robotics and AI development. It's a fundamental question: who benefits when machines take over more of the work humans used to do?