Zoltan Istvan Enters California Governor Race With Bold AI Agenda

Forbes

29-04-2025

Zoltan Istvan interviewed by the media about his political ambitions
In a political landscape increasingly dominated by traditional economic and social issues, transhumanist entrepreneur and futurist, Zoltan Istvan has today launched a disruptive campaign to announce his Democratic run for Governor of California 2026. After years of discussing technologies like AI alongside experts while on the speaker circuit, and promoting its advantages as part of the transhumanist movement, he is now warning voters that an AI-driven 'job apocalypse' is imminent, and that mainstream politicians are dangerously unprepared.
'We're on the Titanic,' Istvan told me. 'We see the iceberg, it's called artificial intelligence, but no one in power is saying a word.'
Having previously campaigned for President under the Transhumanist Party banner, Istvan now returns with a sharper platform, bolstered by an Oxford graduate degree, a flourishing vineyard business alongside his real estate interests, and a growing public concern about AI's societal impacts. His central thesis: within a few years, advances in AI and robotics will render up to half the workforce obsolete, leading to societal upheaval, unless immediate and radical action is taken.
Istvan's biographer, Ben Murnane, suggests Zoltan is uniquely placed for this moment, 'Unlike many on the political scene, he actually understands and is grounded in issues like AI and how it affects the future of work. He's spent decades out there as a successful futurist and political commentator. I think he has an ability to speak to and meet this moment in history in a way that others don't.'
Preparing for the Job Apocalypse
Istvan, a long-time advocate of emerging technologies, emphasized he is not anti-AI.
Far from it.
He envisions a future where robots perform most labor, liberating humans to pursue leisure, creativity, and personal growth. But he believes the transition to this future is being grossly mishandled.
'California should be leading the world into this AI age, but our leaders are asleep at the wheel,' he said. 'By 2030, if no action is taken, we could see half of California's workforce displaced by robots. By 2035, it could be as high as 95%.'
Citing conversations with Silicon Valley insiders, Istvan claims that AI smarter than humans could emerge within the year, with mass production of humanoid robots not far behind. 'Every CEO will have to choose: invest $70,000 in a robot that never calls in sick, or pay a human employee year after year…the economic logic is unavoidable.'
Universal Basic Income and AI-Fueled Prosperity
He says that almost 20% of people are already living in poverty in California, and 15% are going to bed hungry at night, or feeling food deprived, 'if that jumps to 40% we're talking about much more crime, and much more angst.'
To counter the coming upheaval, Istvan proposes a universal basic income (UBI) funded by a blend of crypto assets, taxation on robotics, and better utilization of California's vast state-owned land. He positions UBI not as a handout but as an essential restructuring of society in the face of automation.
'We have the resources,' he insisted. 'We have crypto. We have federal lands worth trillions. If we don't act now poverty, crime, and unrest will skyrocket.'
Unlike many political opponents, Istvan is not waiting for Washington to act first. He believes California, birthplace of AI-driven platforms, must set the standard for how states and nations adapt to AI.
College, Crime and Homelessness
Another major pillar of Istvan's platform is a sweeping reform of education.
We will soon be in a world where AI can write a better PhD than humans can, 'I have two daughters, an 11-year-old and a 14-year-old. Will my eldest even go to college? Is it necessary she goes to college?' he wonders.
Rather than investing billions into outdated physical infrastructure, Istvan advocates for redirecting funds into digital learning, life skills training, and individual capital accounts to help young people invest in housing and their well-being, to prepare them for a drastically altered economy.
'We need to teach real-world resilience — entrepreneurship, well-being, adaptability,' he said. 'The idea that the American Dream requires a college degree and a 9-to-5 job is about to become obsolete.'
Even his solutions to hot-button societal issues like crime and homelessness, require AI-adjacent responses. He advocates deploying advanced surveillance technologies, including drones and facial recognition, balanced, he says, against privacy rights. His platform is unapologetically tough on crime, arguing that restoring public trust in society requires both safety and accountability.
He also supports expanding the role of cryptocurrency in the economy, seeing it not just as a financial tool but as a governance innovation. 'Crypto could be the money tree that funds basic income, without taxing hardworking citizens more,' he claims.
Running Against Silence
Perhaps most controversially, Istvan takes aim not only at Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom but at the entire political establishment.
'Neither Gavin Newsom nor Donald Trump is talking honestly about AI, and they won't, because it's politically toxic.'
But, he argues, it is necessary because unlike climate change, which can still seem distant to some voters, the AI revolution is weeks or months, not decades away from transforming everyday life. And yet, he feels that mainstream public discourse remains alarmingly silent. 'We're treating AI and politics as two separate conversations. They are now the same conversation,' he insists.
Rachel Edler, long-time campaign supporter, graphic designer and collaborator of Zoltan's, told me, 'Zoltan's pro-technology vision advocates using AI, biotechnology and robotics to overcome human limitations. And I support policy based on reason, data and progress rather than emotional or reactionary politics. The benefits of AI should be shared widely and fairly'.
AI And A New American Dream
Ultimately, Istvan is betting that voters, weary of vague promises, bureaucratic overreach and ideological gridlock, are ready for realism. When asked if we should assume that in the age of AI, the American Dream is dead, he said: 'The American Dream isn't dead, it's changing. It's no longer about working yourself to the bone. It's about living a life of leisure, creativity, and health but with AI and robots doing the heavy lifting.'
For a state long viewed as the frontier of innovation, Istvan believes California must now lead again, not just in building frontier technologies like AI, but in managing their profound consequences.
'We either prepare for the future,' he concluded, 'or we get crushed by it.'