Congress Weighs Longer Unemployment Benefits and AI Taxes as Job Fears Grow

Members of Congress have introduced a string of bills to cushion American workers against AI-driven job losses, according to CBS News. The proposals include training programs, longer unemployment benefits and new taxes on the AI industry. Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, backed The Stability and Opportunity for Workers Act, which would extend unemployment benefits to 52 weeks when the unemployment rate reaches 8.5%, up from the current 26-week standard. Sen. Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat, proposed three excise taxes on AI companies, including a 5% tax on digital advertising revenue, with proceeds for retraining displaced workers. A House bill from Reps. Greg Casar, Valerie Foushee and Sara Jacobs would tax AI firms based on token usage, with rates rising as unemployment climbs. A bill from Sen. Mark Warner and Sen. Josh Hawley would require major companies and federal agencies to report AI-related layoffs to the Department of Labor. The article notes that Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has warned AI could wipe out half of entry-level white-collar jobs, a projection economists say has not yet materialized. Nearly 80% of Americans say protecting workers in the age of AI is extremely or very important, according to an AP-NORC poll. The piece is worth reading for how each proposal would work and the gap between warnings and measured job losses.