Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) proposed that the federal government take a 50% stake in artificial intelligence companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic, with the equity held in a newly created sovereign wealth fund meant to benefit the public. The self-described democratic socialist said he would introduce specific legislation in the next few weeks to impose the measure, framing it as a way to ensure AI profits are shared broadly rather than concentrated among executives and shareholders.
If enacted, the legislation would effectively nationalize half the equity of the most prominent AI labs in the U.S., redirecting their future revenue into a government-managed investment pool. The proposal would mark a dramatic expansion of federal control over the technology sector, far exceeding existing antitrust or regulatory approaches. It could also reshape incentives for AI development, potentially slowing private investment if investors fear such takings could be applied to other firms.
Sanders has also publicly targeted automation more broadly, posting repeatedly that Jeff Bezos is seeking $100 billion to put robots into factories and warning that millions of manufacturing and transportation jobs are at risk. His language frames the billionaire class as the beneficiary of AI-driven job displacement while workers bear the costs. The proposal sharpens an existing partisan divide: while many Democrats support stronger AI regulation, few have endorsed direct government ownership, and Republicans have largely opposed any such public stake.
No polling data was included in the source articles regarding public support for the idea, and Sanders has yet to release a companion bill. If the proposal advances, it would likely face fierce opposition from industry groups and free-market conservatives, who argue that government ownership would stifle innovation and compete unfairly with private enterprise. The sovereign wealth fund model used by countries like Norway could serve as a reference point, though the U.S. has no comparable federal structure today.
While Sanders has not yet garnered co-sponsors, the proposal could shift the Overton window on AI governance, pulling the debate away from whether to regulate toward how much the public should own. For now, the plan remains a political pressure tactic rather than a ready-to-pass bill, but it signals growing legislative appetite for redistributive tech policy.