Sanders Bill Would Give U.S. Stake in AI Industry

Senator Bernie Sanders introduced legislation that would give the federal government a stake in artificial intelligence companies, expanding state participation in a sector that has largely operated without direct Washington ownership. The bill, which Sanders outlined in a statement on Monday, calls for the creation of a public fund that would acquire equity in firms developing frontier AI models.

“Artificial intelligence does not belong to billionaires; it belongs to the people,” Sanders said. The Vermont senator has long argued that the benefits of technological progress are concentrated among a small number of executives and investors, and that direct public ownership would ensure the technology serves broader social goals, including job protection and consumer privacy.

The proposal has drawn attention from both sides of the debate over AI regulation. Some AI executives have expressed support for the measures, a fact that critics say could allow incumbents to lock out smaller competitors through government-sanctioned barriers. Others warn that state involvement would slow innovation, as political priorities replace market signals in deciding which products reach users.

Sanders’s bill faces an uncertain path in a sharply divided Congress. No committee markup has been scheduled. The proposal is likely to be debated alongside broader AI oversight efforts, including a framework bill expected from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

The legislation introduces a new variable for investors tracking the AI sector. While the bill’s chances of passage are slim in the current Congress, it signals a growing appetite among some lawmakers for direct government intervention in technology markets, a shift that could take shape in future sessions depending on electoral outcomes.