The Road to AI State Socialism

So Senator Bernie Sanders, fresh from his many crusades against the billionaire class, has decided that the way to handle artificial intelligence is for the federal government to simply own a chunk of it. His plan: a one-time 50% tax on AI company shares, effectively transferring ownership to the public. Because nothing signals 'responsible innovation' quite like a confiscatory levy that would scare off every venture capitalist from Boston to Beijing. This follows the delightful dance between the Trump administration and OpenAI over a possible government stake — but whereas Trump's people were at least trying to negotiate a price, Sanders has dispensed with the market entirely. Why haggle when you can just take?

The WSJ opinion piece — titled with admirable candour 'The Road to AI State Socialism' — doesn't bother to hide where this leads. One imagines Sam Altman waking up to find his shareholder registry suddenly includes the United States Treasury as a majority owner. The 50% tax would presumably be applied to shares held by founders, investors, and employees alike, which ought to make talent retention a joy. 'Congratulations on your Series B — you now owe Uncle Sam half your equity.' And think of the message to the next generation of AI startups: incorporate in Delaware, get nationalised in Washington.

But let's give credit where it's due: at least the proposal is honest about its intent. While the White House talks about 'responsible AI' and 'national security', Sanders has simply cut to the chase. Nationalise the companies, seize the upside, and let the Pentagon sort out the rest. As far as regulatory gaps go, this is less a gap and more a bloody great chasm filled with tax forms and committees. The free market's response will surely be robust — probably through the medium of capital flight and a booming AI sector in Singapore. Cheers to progress, comrade.