Will the Age of AI Politically Shift People to the Left?

Newsweek

3 days ago

Ever since I first used ChatGPT over two years ago, I've been drifting politically from the center to the left. I've noticed a similar occurrence happening to my friends.
I'm not alone in this realization. As artificial intelligence (AI) transforms the landscape of global work, economics, and social organization, its political consequences are becoming more apparent. Frankly, this could be good news for struggling leftists who are currently wondering how the right has come into power in every branch of the U.S. government.
While AI is not inherently political, the challenges and opportunities it presents are likely to drive popular demand for the kinds of collective solutions historically advocated by the left. Clearly, one of the most immediate effects of AI is its impact on the labor market. Automation and machine learning are displacing jobs in almost every field.
An Apple iPhone screen with AI icons is pictured.
An Apple iPhone screen with AI icons is pictured.
Getty Images
As more people find their jobs eliminated by automation, traditional models of employment-based identity and security begin to fall apart. The capitalist assumption that individuals should earn their livelihood through labor doesn't work anymore when machines outperform humans at both speed and cost. This disruption naturally prompts questions: If machines are creating immense value, who owns that value? If fewer people can earn a stable income through work, how should society distribute resources?
These questions often lead toward left-wing solutions—most notably, the concept of Universal Basic Income (UBI), a policy I support. UBI and similar redistributive policies challenge the conservative ethos of meritocracy, advocating instead for a social safety net that ensures basic human needs are met regardless of employment status. What happens as the connection between labor and survival decouples is the case for a type of universal welfare becomes stronger, nudging public opinion to the left.
AI also will likely worsen economic inequality. The benefits of AI development accrue primarily to those who own the data, compute power, and intellectual property behind these systems—typically large tech corporations and a small class of wealthy investors. This concentration of wealth and power in just a few hands raises plenty of alarm among citizens and policymakers alike. It creates political instability and fuels populist resentment. This makes people turn to progressive platforms that promise to break up monopolies, tax the ultra-wealthy, and reinvest in public goods.
Let's face it: this redistributionist impulse is inherently leftist. The political left has long advocated for equitable wealth distribution, corporate regulation, and social investment in education, health care, and infrastructure. These policies look to gain more mainstream appeal in the AI age—not out of ideological conviction but out of necessity. Even moderate or centrist voters may find themselves supporting wealth taxes or antitrust regulations as they witness the disproportionate gains accruing to tech elites.
AI also raises ethical and regulatory issues that require collective decision-making and public oversight—typical ideas of left-wing governance. AI systems can reinforce or even amplify societal biases if trained on flawed data. They can be used for mass surveillance, predictive policing, and manipulation of public opinion, raising many civil liberty dilemmas.
Left-leaning political traditions emphasize the role of the state in protecting individual rights and promoting equality. In contrast, right-libertarian approaches prioritize deregulation and market freedom, which may be ill-suited to address labor challenges in the AI age. When widespread automation begins to make life-altering decisions—such as who gets a loan, a job, or a prison sentence—there is a growing demand for oversight, accountability, and ethical rules.
This demand aligns with progressive calls for democratic control over technology—a political environment in which state institutions play a more active role in shaping the direction of AI development. Such governance will likely include public data trusts, ethical review boards, and inclusive policy-making processes—all of which emphasize collective rather than individualistic solutions.
Perhaps most significantly, AI doesn't just reshape the economy; it also transforms how people see themselves and their relationship to society. In a world where traditional work is no longer central to personal identity, people may begin to value care, creativity, and education as more valuable. These ideas support a broader cultural shift that aligns with leftist values such as solidarity, equality, and community.
I'm not suggesting the age of AI will determine political outcomes with certainty, but it will surely influence the structures and systems that shape political life. By disrupting labor markets, concentrating wealth, and raising ethical questions, AI challenges the assumptions of capitalism and individual self-sufficiency. In doing so, it creates fertile ground for left-wing political ideas centered on redistribution and collective governance.
As societies grapple with the implications of this technological revolution, I believe a leftward political shift will likely emerge. It won't come about because of ideological fervor, but from the pragmatic need to build a fair and functional future in an AI-driven world.
Zoltan Istvan writes and speaks on transhumanism, artificial intelligence, and the future.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.