SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Former Democrat and 2020 presidential candidate Andrew Yang became known for his unconventional approach and push for Universal Basic Income.
Less known was his prescient warning that artificial intelligence, or AI, was about to erase millions of jobs and few in a position of power were taking action to prevent human collateral damage.
He addresses those issues and more in his new memoir, “Hey Yang, Where’s My Thousand Bucks”?
On the evening of February 26 at Manny’s, a San Francisco Mission District civic and community gathering place, Yang joined ABC7 News Anchor Kristen Sze in a one-on-one conversation about how we got here, and the future.
From artificial intelligence to the 2024 election fallout, Yang argued that both Silicon Valley and Washington are accelerating into the future – without a roadmap.
“Full steam ahead,” he said of the AI boom. Billions in investment. Massive data centers. And in his words, “zero discussion or vision or foresight” about the workers who could be displaced.
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Andrew Yang is the Democratic Presidential candidate few people had heard of, until last month.
Yang, who once found strong support for universal basic income in tech circles, says that spirit has faded. He described today’s climate as tech leaders going “all in” on maximizing gains – even if the public is “on the outside looking in.”
He also took aim at Democratic leadership, saying President Biden “failed us all” by running again – and criticizing the party for not holding a competitive primary after Biden stepped aside.
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“The Democrats should change their name to the selectors,” Yang quipped.
Yang said people often ask him whether he will run for President in 2028. In the memoir, he described being just “60 seconds away” from running again, a reference to the time it would take to compose a message and blast it off on social media to millions of followers. Asked about it at Manny’s, Yang’s response was both surprising and unsurprising.
Watch the full interview in the media player above.
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