Steyer challenges AI megadonors as primary looms

California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer is betting his campaign on a message aimed at the tech industry’s political influence: the people who profit most from AI shouldn’t write the rules. In an exclusive interview, Steyer laid out his plan for worker pr

On May 27. 2026. Tom Steyer stood in Santa Rosa. California. and talked about a threat he says is already moving too fast for politics to keep up. He didn’t describe a future problem. He described a present one—built by companies he says are treating artificial intelligence like an oncoming disaster.

Steyer. a longtime climate advocate and a billionaire running for governor in one of the most consequential state races in the country. has made AI policy the core of his pitch in California’s intense open primary. scheduled for Tuesday. He argues that the “AI era” will either improve the lives of ordinary Californians or deepen a familiar pattern: a boom that enriches the already wealthy while everyone else struggles with the fallout.

In a stance rooted as much in politics as technology. Steyer framed the question as who gets to make the rules. He points to the influence of tech elites and argues that “the people who stand to profit the most from this technology shouldn’t be making the rules about how it is used. Otherwise, the AI era will be another boom for billionaires – and a bust for everyone else.”.

His warning comes wrapped in a specific worldview. including a reference to Pope Leo’s encyclical on AI that stresses the debate isn’t “really about technology. ” but about policy choices—choices that determine whether the “industrial revolution” improves lives or serves “the bottom-line interests of billionaires trying to become trillionaires.” Leo’s language. as quoted in the piece. includes the claim that “Artificial intelligence needs to be disarmed. ” along with the admission that “The word [disarmed] is strong. ” deliberately chosen “to attract attention. awaken consciences and indicate paths forward for humanity.”.

For Steyer, the practical translation is straightforward: progressives can’t wait on the sidelines while the biggest players shape regulation through lobbying and spending. He points to elected officials and candidates who have joined the debate—then emphasizes that they remain the exception.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders has called for a moratorium on the development of AI data centers. arguing for a pause to slow an AI-driven rush that could bring “robotification of workplaces. ” amplify disinformation. elevate surveillance. and accelerate weaponization. California Rep. Ro Khanna. a Democrat. has proposed what he calls smart strategies for regulating AI. taxing tech billionaires. and ensuring working-class Americans get education. training and opportunities as workplaces change.

But Steyer’s campaign argues that California has to do more—and do it with a different power balance in mind. Steyer says his opponents and even much of Washington have failed to meet the moment.

His own roadmap is designed to ensure “all Californians benefit from AI.” The campaign says he wants “smart job protections for workers and to retrain those who are displaced by AI.” It also asks voters to approve creating the Golden State Sovereign Wealth Fund.

As Steyer’s campaign explains it. the fund would be “a dedicated investment vehicle funded by a ‘token tax’ on corporate AI use – a fraction of a cent for every unit of data processed by Big Tech.” Money from the fund. the campaign says. would “help ensure everyday Californians share in the AI boom. through cash dividends. investments in education. training. and job opportunities to help workers succeed. and strategic investments to ensure broad-based economic growth so every Californian can get ahead.”.

That message is fueling support from a wide slice of Steyer’s progressive coalition. The clarity of his AI plan is described as a key reason Steyer has been backed by Khanna and by unions that are increasingly focused on AI’s labor impact. The list includes the California Nurses Association. the California Teachers Association. the California Federation of Teachers. the Service Employees International Union. International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. the California Federation of Labor Unions. hotels workers and others organized by UNITE-HERE. the Sierra Club. Our Revolution. former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich. environmentalist Bill McKibben. and U.S. Reps. Lateefah Simon and Jared Huffman.

Steyer’s appeal. in the same telling. also comes with a willingness to name the money he believes will steer AI policy away from workers. He has drawn opposition from what the piece calls “free-spending political action committees favored by the healthcare. utility. fossil fuel. and AI industries.” The article points to Meta specifically.

It says Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg recently steered $950,000 into a political action committee that backs Xavier Becerra, described as a former California attorney general, member of Congress, and a Biden Cabinet member who has emerged as the favorite of corporate interests in the race for governor.

Steyer responded bluntly: “Mark Zuckerberg wants a friend in Sacramento. I won’t be.”

In the interview, Steyer’s language about urgency goes beyond campaign rhetoric. He tells the story of what executives he’s spoken with believe about the speed of change. “You never know how anything is going to turn out. ” he said. “but the people running the biggest companies – the biggest large-language model [artificial intelligence algorithm] companies—believe this is a 30-foot tsunami coming at us at 100 miles an hour.”.

He argues that the corporate-friendly AI policies adopted by the Trump administration, combined with what he describes as disengaged responses by too many Democrats, don’t match reality.

Steyer says he rejects the idea that policymakers can afford to wait. He argues that “obviously, AI is overwhelmingly being developed in California,” insisting, “It’s not ‘going to happen,’ it’s happening. It’s absolutely happening.”

He compares delay to arriving after the damage is done: “Wait till it hits and see what happens? That doesn’t seem to me to be an appropriate response,” Steyer explained. “By the time the tsunami hits, it’s a little hard to get to high ground.”

At the center of his campaign effort is the question of jobs—and what he says should come after displacement begins. The piece says he has met with key industry figures. as well as union leaders and labor experts. to understand which jobs are threatened by AI and robots and how to address the people who lose their work.

“We’ve talked a lot about protecting working people,” Steyer said. “We’ve talked a lot about real retraining to get people into real jobs.”

He also returned to his “token fee” idea. presenting it as a way of making California “own part of this” economic transformation rather than watching outside companies take it all. He said Californians should receive something tied to the calculations made by AI because. in his view. “we can’t have 12 trillionaires and 40 million people who can’t make rent because they’re losing their jobs.”.

He ties the numbers to a moral line: “It can’t happen, and we can’t let it happen.”

Beyond the fund, the campaign lays out additional AI-related commitments. It says Steyer will “make sure we protect workers and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs that AI can’t do.” It also says “Regardless of its potential. AI will not replace all thinking and creative jobs. ” adding that while machines may “make them faster or more efficient. ” no machine can replace “our innate creativity. compassion. and experience – the uniquely human things we bring to our work.”.

Steyer’s platform also includes proposals to partner with labor on “reasonable guardrails for AI use in the workplace. ” specifically around “privacy. health. safety. and fairness.” It calls for requiring social media platforms to conduct safety audits and strictly enforce age requirements. including requiring independent safety testing to ensure models are safe before they go on the market.

Another pledge focuses on energy costs: “Data centers should never cost California families a cent.” Steyer says he would mandate that data centers ensure energy prices for families go down, “not up.”

The campaign also supports banning social media for kids under 16, saying “the link between social media use and the youth mental health crisis is clear.” It adds that “There must be human oversight of AI with the ability to override, especially in critical areas.”

All of it is being positioned as an answer to what Steyer says is already underway: an AI industry concentrated in California, moving quickly, and backed by political spending he believes is designed to keep the balance tilted toward corporate interests.

With polls showing Steyer has a “good chance of being one of the two candidates who get through the primary and go on to face one another in November. ” the stakes of his AI pitch—who profits. who governs. and who pays the price—are likely to grow rather than fade as voters head into the open primary on Tuesday.

The article closes by arguing that Steyer’s willingness to engage in the AI debate—and propose “savvy progressive responses” to the problems it raises—sets him apart from other candidates. presenting his candidacy as one that could shape what the AI future looks like in a state that sits at the heart of the technology’s development.

Tom Steyer California governor AI policy Golden State Sovereign Wealth Fund token tax workers retraining Xavier Becerra Mark Zuckerberg Meta Bernie Sanders moratorium Ro Khanna AI regulation