Sen. Bernie Sanders wants the U.S. government to take a 50% ownership stake in the largest American artificial intelligence companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic.
Key Points:
- Sanders plans a bill creating a public sovereign wealth fund stocked with shares of major AI firms.
- The measure would impose a one-time 50% tax, paid in stock rather than cash, on companies like OpenAI, Anthropic and xAI.
- His proposal landed the same day Anthropic confidentially filed for an initial public offering.
Sanders Pitches AI Ownership Fund
The Vermont independent laid out the idea in a newspaper opinion piece on June 1. He calls the bill the American A.I. Sovereign Wealth Fund Act.
The legislation would give the public a direct ownership stake in the country's biggest AI developers. It would work through a one-time 50% tax, paid in company stock rather than cash.
That levy would reach xAI and other large firms, a structure he described as a way to hand ordinary Americans a stake. The government would gain voting shares and equal seats on each company's board.
Also Read: Microsoft Releases New AI Models To Challenge Anthropic's Business Push
Why Sanders Targets AI Giants
Sanders argues that AI rests on the collective knowledge of humanity, from books and songs to journalism and code. The wealth it generates, he says, should benefit the public rather than a handful of moguls.
He singled out Sam Altman, Elon Musk and Dario Amodei as figures positioned to dominate the field. He wants the fund to send direct payments to Americans while underwriting health care, education and housing.
The timing drew attention.
Hours after the piece ran, Anthropic confirmed it had confidentially filed for an IPO at a valuation near $965 billion. Sanders also pointed abroad, noting that Norway's oil-funded wealth fund now holds more than $2 trillion.
Sanders Renews AI Job Warnings
The plan builds on a louder campaign against the industry. In February, he warned from the Senate floor that AI and robotics could erase millions of jobs.
That speech promoted a separate bill to ban new AI data centers.
He cited a committee report estimating that nearly 100 million U.S. jobs were at risk, and he returned to the theme in an April column for a cable network.
For now, the fund remains a pledge. Sanders says the full text, including spending priorities and the mechanics of implementation, will arrive in the coming weeks.
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