Working Families Party Unveils Anti-AI Jobs Plan Ahead of Midterms

Voters are increasingly anxious about artificial intelligence replacing their jobs, and political leaders across the spectrum are responding. The Working Families Party (WFP) has introduced a new policy platform for the upcoming midterm elections, backed by more than two dozen Democratic candidates and representatives, to address these concerns.

The centerpiece of the WFP’s plan is a jobs program designed to place Americans in union positions, rather than a direct cash dividend. Recent polling underscores the urgency: a Quinnipiac poll found that over half of Americans believe AI does more harm than good in daily life, while 70% think widespread AI adoption will reduce the total number of available jobs.

With the midterms approaching, corporations and politicians are scrambling to address these fears. Earlier this month, OpenAI proposed a “public wealth fund” to give every citizen a stake in AI-driven economic growth. Yesterday, New York Assemblyman Alex Bores introduced a tax framework to redistribute wealth from major AI corporations to workers displaced by their products, calling it an “AI dividend.”

The WFP’s proposal, dubbed the “Working Families Guarantee,” mirrors the scope of a Green New Deal-style jobs initiative. While the platform does not detail how the program would operate, Julie Gonzales, a U.S. Senate candidate in Colorado, suggested the union jobs would focus on green infrastructure and healthcare. “Corporations and the do-nothing Dems they support have shipped jobs overseas, cut wages, and busted unions to boost their own profits,” Gonzales stated.

Historically, jobs guarantee programs have seen limited success since the Works Progress Administration (WPA) of the 1940s, despite widespread public support. The WFP’s platform also includes guaranteed low-cost health and childcare, funded by higher taxes on the wealthy. “The working families guarantee is what working people deserve, and we are coming to collect,” said Maurice Mitchell, the WFP’s national political director.

Endorsers of the Working Families Guarantee include Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL). Other prominent supporters include Brad Lander (New York), Charles Booker (Kentucky), and Graham Platner (Maine).

AI Policy Battle Heats Up Within Democratic Party

The WFP’s platform reflects a broader struggle over AI policy within the Democratic Party. The Searchlight Institute, a moderate think tank positioning itself as a leader of the party’s “realignment,” has opposed efforts to limit datacenter construction—despite being backed by Nvidia-linked donors. Similarly, Third Way, another centrist Democratic think tank, has taken comparable stances.

The WFP, a smaller but influential left-wing party, is pushing moderate candidates further to the left. The party has found strong support among younger voters, who are increasingly distrustful of both major political parties. Ravi Mangla, the WFP’s National Press Secretary, told Mother Jones, “People want leaders with backbone, yet groups like Third Way and the Searchlight Institute are telling