California is experiencing a concentration of wealth from artificial intelligence that mirrors the industrial revolution's inequalities. - A century ago, the industrial revolution brought wealth but also suffering, leading to labor reforms.
- In Oakland, a General Strike 80 years ago protested abuses of power. - Today, AI creates billionaires while tent encampments and food banks highlight growing inequality.
- Pope Leo XIV and a proposed billionaire tax call for ethical guardrails. The article argues that democracy must prioritize human dignity over profit, as it did in the past.