Abdul El-Sayed reveals he would take socialist plan a ‘step further’ than Bernie Sanders for key US industry

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Key points

• El-Sayed argued for "some system of public control, " days after a top House Democrat rejected suggestions that young socialists are talking regarding "seizing the means of production."
• And, so, we need leaders who both understand the technological risk and are not purchased off by the AI industry itself.
• But some of the movement's most prominent figures have applied more explicit language.
• He continued that while he agreed "we need public ownership, " he additionally believed "we need some system of public control."
• I just think it's really significant for us to be thinking what is democratic control over this industry?

Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed remarked he wanted to "take it a step further" when asked whether he backed Bernie Sanders' public ownership model for major artificial intelligence firms.

Asked during a June 12 appearance on the left-wing "Head in the Office" podcast whether he backed public ownership models for major artificial intelligence businesses like one proposed by Sanders, El-Sayed noted he wanted to "actually take it a step further."

El-Sayed did not explicitly call for the administration to seize or take ownership of private AI businesses, instead describing feasible forms of "public control" that included public representation on corporate boards or an oversight body.

"I want to actually take it a step further. I agree that we need public ownership, but I additionally agree that we need some system of public control. What is the point of democracy if it's not to protect us from existential risk? And, right now, there is no regulation, " El-Sayed remarked when asked concerning public ownership and public control of major AI firms, with the podcast host citing proposals from Sanders.

"I just think it's really significant for us to be thinking what is democratic control over this industry? What does it look like?"

El-Sayed afterwards offered examples of what "public control" could look like, including public representation on corporate boards or a public oversight body over businesses, arguing that AI poses potentially "existential" risks requiring greater public oversight.

"Democracy is supposed to fix these problems, and, right now, they're trying to slip democracy, and we cannot allow that, " El-Sayed continued regarding the political power tech businesses wield in Washington. "And, so, we need leaders who both understand the technological risk and are not purchased off by the AI industry itself. It is mission critical right now for our future."

El-Sayed's call to "take it a step further" on public ownership comes as senior Democrats have sought to push back on the idea that the party's rising socialist wing is seeking administration control of the means of production.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., lately argued that young Americans who identify as socialists are not embracing socialism in its traditional Marxist sense, asking whether they mean, "I want to socialize the means of production, " before answering, "I don't think so." Start your day with all you need to know. Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.

Raskin has similarly argued that young self-described socialists are primarily seeking "greater equality and opportunity, " rather than embracing concepts such as "dialectical materialism" or the "dictatorship of the proletariat."

But some of the movement's most prominent figures have applied more explicit language. Mamdani remarked during a 2021 Young Democratic Socialists of America conference that one of the movement's firmly held beliefs was the "end goal of seizing the means of production, " while acknowledging it did not then enjoy the same level of public backing as other progressive causes.

Notably, the June podcast comments are drawing fresh attention as El-Sayed, a progressive who has embraced comparisons to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, seeks to carry that brand of politics into a marquee statewide Senate race.

Meanwhile, the resurfaced exchange additionally comes against the backdrop of a broader debate over the Democratic Party's embrace of democratic socialists and how far the movement's economic agenda extends beyond policies such as universal healthcare and a higher minimum wage.

Taken together, the developments around abdul El-Sayed reveals he would take socialist plan a 'step further' than point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.