Bernie Sanders Drops Ominous Warning As Meta Fires Thousands to ‘Replace Them With AI’

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions ranking member Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks during a hearing to examine reviewing recent events at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and implications for children’s health on Capitol Hill, in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) called out Meta and billionaire CEO Mark Zuckerberg in response to the company’s decision to lay off thousands of workers Wednesday as part of an AI push.

Zuckerberg announced in a company memo that 8,000 employees had been cut from the company. Additional, the CEO said more than 7,000 others would be moved to roles heavily focused on AI. A CNBC report added:

Although the layoffs will hit numerous departments, the teams and units focused on AI infrastructure, foundation models and AI monetization are expected to be protected, CNBC previously reported.

“It’s always sad to say goodbye to people who have contributed to our mission and to building this company,” Zuckerberg said in the Wednesday memo, adding that he expresses his “gratitude to everyone leaving today for all of the hard work you’ve put into serving our community.”

In a tweet posted Wednesday afternoon, Sanders accused the company of replacing its employees with AI and warned that it was a sign of things to come.

“Today, Meta is firing thousands of workers to replace them with AI,” Sanders tweeted. “If Mark Zuckerberg is willing to lay off 10% of his own employees, what do you think his AI will do to the average American worker?”

Under that tweet, Sanders also included an outreach link for affected employees to share their stories with the federal government.

“As the Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, I want to hear from workers whose jobs are being impacted by artificial intelligence and robotics,” Sanders continued. “Share your story HERE.”

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