Rep. Greg Casar proposed tax on artificial intelligence as a way to support workforce - kens5.com

Ah, Rep. Greg Casar has blessed us with a plan that exists only in the space between an op-ed and a press release. His proposal to tax artificial intelligence and use the revenue to support job creation is, as the article helpfully notes, 'not yet a formal piece of legislation.' So it's a thought experiment, really — the congressional equivalent of suggesting we pay off the national debt with a bake sale. He argues that current tax policies favor automation, which is a bit like complaining that the rain is wet while standing in a downpour. Yes, the tax code is rigged for machines — that's been obvious for a decade. But turning that insight into an actual bill requires more than a tidy op-ed in a local Texas paper.

Let's appreciate the timing: we're in the middle of a legislative session where Congress can barely fund the government, and Casar's big idea is to introduce a whole new tax category. Because nothing says 'bipartisan appeal' like taxing the one sector that's actually growing. And the revenue will support workforce development — presumably the same workforce that just watched their jobs get automated. Maybe the tax will be so effective that AI will have to hire humans to pay it? That's the level of circular logic we're dealing with.

Still, credit where it's due: at least someone is trying. The Sanders public-ownership proposal (from two weeks ago) is sitting in committee purgatory, and this one isn't even a bill yet. So we have two Democratic ideas for reining in AI: one that nationalises the labs, and one that taxes them. Both are in the same place — nowhere. Meanwhile, the models keep getting smarter, the layoffs keep coming, and Congress is still debating whether to hold a hearing. But sure, let's write another op-ed. That'll fix it.