Gadgets & Workspaces · Story 8

Bernie Sanders AI bill would give public half of the AI industry

Senator Bernie Sanders has proposed the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act, which would grant the American public a 50% ownership stake in AI companies. The bill comes as major AI firms like SpaceX/XAI, Anthropic, and OpenAI prepare for public offerings that could create the world's first trillionaire.

This proposal challenges the current model where AI profits flow almost entirely to private investors and founders. It raises foundational questions about whether the public deserves a share of wealth generated from data and infrastructure they helped create.

Key details

• The proposed bill is called the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act.
• It would give the American public a 50% stake in AI companies.
• The announcement follows an op-ed by Sanders in the New York Times arguing for public ownership in AI.
• Multiple major AI firms are reportedly preparing for IPOs, including SpaceX/XAI, Anthropic, and OpenAI.

Discussion angles

• One top commenter highlights the timing of Sanders' proposal alongside Elon Musk's impending trillionaire status from the SpaceX/XAI IPO and IPOs from Anthropic and OpenAI.
• A commenter from Texas expresses support for the idea but doubts Congress will follow through, comparing it to state lottery funds that were promised for education but diverted elsewhere.
• Another commenter sarcastically predicts the Trump administration will offer a competing bill that gives half the AI industry to the Trump family.
• A commenter argues AI companies should share ownership because they train on public data and thoughts, though they believe the bill will never pass.
• One user worries the public's half will actually mean bailing out AI companies with tax dollars when the economy crashes.