Senator Bernie Sanders wants to give Americans ownership stake in AI companies

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders plans to introduce the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act, a bill that would give the American public a direct ownership stake in the largest artificial intelligence companies in the United States. Sanders writes for the New York Times that AI is built on collectively created human knowledge and that its benefits must be shared broadly.

The proposed legislation would create a sovereign wealth fund funded by a one-time 50 percent tax paid not in cash but in stock. Companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI would transfer half of their shares to the fund. The federal government would then hold voting rights and equal board representation at each company.

Two stated goals

• Public oversight: The government could block decisions that harm citizens and push for policies that benefit them.
• Wealth sharing: Revenue from the fund would flow directly to Americans, with longer-term goals including universal access to health care, education, and housing.

Sanders argues that AI models were trained on books, artwork, journalism, and scientific research produced by millions of people, largely without permission or compensation. He calls this an act of theft by some of the world’s wealthiest individuals.

The senator points to existing precedents. Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, built on oil revenues, is now worth more than two trillion dollars. Alaska has paid annual dividends to its residents from a similar oil-based fund for fifty years. Even President Trump has signed an executive order proposing a US sovereign wealth fund.

Notably, Sanders cites statements from the AI industry itself. OpenAI proposed a “public wealth fund” giving every citizen a stake in AI-driven growth. Anthropic called for “national sovereign wealth funds with stakes in AI.” Elon Musk, who runs xAI, advocated for government checks to address AI-driven unemployment.

Sanders acknowledges that government ownership in companies with broad business activities is complex. Full legislative details are expected in the coming weeks.