Stanford Speakers Bureau and Stanford Democrats work together to host Bernie Sanders and Ro Khanna

A Collaborative Student Effort

The future of AI is the talk of the town, and Stanford students recently got a front-row seat to the debate. The Stanford Speakers Bureau and Stanford Democrats teamed up to host a massive town hall featuring Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Ro Khanna. More than 1,000 people filled the seats in Memorial Auditorium to tackle one big question... Who Controls the Future of Al: THE OLIGARCHS or THE PEOPLE?

A Shared Vision from Sanders and Khanna

During the talk, Sanders didn't hold back on his fears about the tech boom. He warned that AI and robotics could soon take over tens of millions of jobs. While this might make big companies richer, he worried about how the country will pay for programs like Social Security if there are fewer human taxpayers. To slow things down, he even suggested a pause on building new data centers.

Ro Khanna offered a slightly different path, sharing his seven ideas for what he calls "Democratic AI." Instead of replacing people, Khanna wants to see technology used to help humans do their jobs better. He argued that workers should get a fair share of the profits when technology makes a company more productive. He also wants to make sure it stays easier for companies to hire real people rather than digital agents.

The Team Behind the Scenes

Pulling off an event this big was no small feat. The student organizers worked closely with Snehal Naik from the Office of Student Engagement, along with teams from across campus like Event Services and Stanford Communications. Thanks to that behind-the-scenes teamwork, the night went off without a hitch, giving students plenty to think about as they head into a high-tech future.