- Bernie Sanders proposes a public AI wealth fund to give Americans ownership stakes in major AI companies.
- The plan would tax large AI firms with stock contributions to create a federally managed investment fund.
- Sanders argues AI profits should benefit the public as concerns grow over wealth inequality and job losses.
Senator Bernie Sanders has proposed a plan that would give Americans a direct ownership stake in major artificial intelligence companies through a federally managed sovereign wealth fund. The independent lawmaker from Vermont unveiled the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act in a post on X, saying the measure would help ensure the public benefits from the rapid growth of the AI industry.
Under the proposal, large AI companies would face a one-time 50% stock tax, with the shares transferred into a public investment fund. Sanders said the fund could eventually be worth nearly $7 trillion.
“The future of AI must not be decided behind closed doors by billionaires seeking to maximize their power and profit,” Sanders wrote. He added, “It should be decided by the American people.”
Plan Would Give Americans Shares in AI Growth
Under Sanders’ proposal, affected AI companies would transfer shares to the fund rather than make cash tax payments. The measure would apply to firms generating at least $200 million in annual revenue from artificial intelligence, making Americans collective shareholders in some of the country’s largest AI businesses.
The fund would be overseen by an independent seven-member commission. Commissioners would be nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, with the authority to exercise voting rights attached to the shares held by the fund.
“The benefits cannot simply go to the handful of wealthy corporations. They will be shared by the American people,” Sanders said, arguing that the public should have a greater stake in technologies that are increasingly shaping the economy and daily life.
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According to Sanders, the fund could generate annual dividend payments of more than $1,000 per American if it achieved a 5% yearly return. Future gains could also be directed toward programs such as education, healthcare, and housing.
Debate Over AI Wealth Continues
Sanders said proposals to give the public a stake in the AI industry have gained support in recent years but argued that his plan would provide Americans with a far greater role in ownership and oversight.
The idea of sharing the benefits of AI more broadly has drawn interest from figures across the technology and political sectors. President Donald Trump has previously voiced support for greater public participation in AI-driven wealth creation.
OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman has discussed public wealth funds tied to AI growth, while Anthropic Chief Executive Dario Amodei has suggested that taxes on AI companies could help fund a universal basic income.
Meanwhile, concerns over job losses continue to grow. Sanders warned, “Workers will be thrown out of their jobs while billionaires, multi-billionaires become even richer.” As a result, he plans to place AI ownership and wealth inequality at the center of future campaign efforts.
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