Bernie Sanders Continues to Be Only Democrat(ish) Lawmaker Willing to Govern on AI - Gizmodo

Senator Bernie Sanders announced plans to introduce legislation called the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act, which would require the government to take a 50% ownership stake in frontier artificial intelligence labs such as OpenAI and Anthropic. The proposal was reported by Gizmodo on June 1, 2026. Sanders stated that the bill aims to ensure that the economic benefits of advanced AI are shared broadly rather than concentrated among private investors.

The legislation would create a sovereign wealth fund financed by dividends from the government's stake in these AI companies. The fund would be used to provide public benefits, though specific allocations were not detailed in the announcement. Sanders characterised the proposal as a necessary step to prevent monopolistic control over transformative technology.

Industry groups and the affected labs are expected to oppose the measure. The announcement comes amid ongoing debates over AI regulation, with other lawmakers focusing on safety standards rather than ownership structures.