Drawing parallels to the Rust Belt's decline, Buttigieg warns AI's impact on white-collar work will be more profound than just economic loss. It will cause a deeper "displacement of identity," as professions in law, medicine, and software are central to how people see themselves and their place in society.

By 2028, the primary American political issue will shift from traditional economics and foreign policy to the societal impact of AI. The election will become a referendum on whether AI's benefits are broadly shared or if it has only enriched a small Silicon Valley elite at the expense of national employment.

The "China shock" in trade provides a model: though it displaced a relatively small 2 million jobs over 12 years, the political reaction was enormous. AI's labor market shock will be larger, suggesting an even more intense and disproportionate political consequence, regardless of long-term "superabundance" promises.

The Trump and Brexit movements were driven by blue-collar workers. The coming political upheaval will be fueled by a different demographic: urban, degree-educated knowledge workers whose jobs are directly threatened by AI.

Previous technological shifts displaced specific, often manual, labor roles (the 'knocker-uppers'). AI is unique because it threatens to automate cognitive and creative tasks across the entire economic spectrum. This widespread sense of vulnerability, affecting everyone from factory workers to lawyers, fuels a collective, populist panic unseen in prior revolutions.

History shows that social stability is threatened not by the long-suffering poor, but by a disgruntled, overeducated middle class. AI's displacement of junior roles in tech and law creates a cohort of indebted graduates who played by the rules but now face unemployment. This group is far more likely to cause political and social unrest.

A major political crisis over AI and jobs doesn't require high national unemployment. All it takes is a rapid, concentrated wave of job losses in a single, visible industry or geographic area. This creates a potent media narrative that can trigger widespread panic and political action.

Unlike divisive issues like immigration, concern over AI's impact on jobs, society, and security is shared by Republicans, Democrats, unions, and religious groups. A politician who effectively channels this widespread anxiety could ride a powerful populist wave, making it a key political opportunity.

Research shows the public is deeply anxious about AI's impact on jobs and wages. When polled, policies that fund job creation and benefits decisively beat those prioritizing innovation to 'outcompete China,' even among conservative voters. This economic anxiety, not abstract risk, is the primary driver of public opinion on AI regulation.