Sen. Bernie Sanders is set to introduce a new piece of legislation aimed at bringing government control over a large share of the country’s biggest artificial intelligence companies. The proposal, described as the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act, would change the relationship between the public and leading AI firms by requiring the government to tax these companies and then use the proceeds to acquire major equity stakes.
Under the plan, the government would take a 50% ownership stake in the nation’s largest AI companies. The bill’s core concept is that AI companies, which are developing highly influential technologies and capturing enormous economic value, should not be governed solely through private ownership. Instead, Sanders’ legislation would move half of that ownership into public control, effectively creating a federally managed structure that holds the shares.
The mechanism proposed involves a tax on AI companies. The government would then convert that tax revenue into stock ownership. In other words, the program would be funded by taxing companies in the AI sector and translating those funds into public equity positions, with the government holding controlling or at least extremely significant influence given the 50% share.
Supporters of a model like this often argue that AI is becoming critical infrastructure rather than just a typical commercial industry. They contend that if the technology’s economic benefits and long-term outcomes affect the whole population, then the public should have a direct stake in the assets that drive those outcomes. Sanders’ approach reflects that broader argument: it treats major AI firms as strategic assets that warrant public participation and oversight.
The proposal also suggests that, by embedding stock ownership within a public fund, the government could better steer how these companies develop, operate, and distribute value. Public ownership can mean more leverage in governance decisions, possible requirements tied to national priorities, and stronger accountability than shareholders alone may provide. While the bill’s specific governance details are not included in the provided text, the central idea is clear: half of the ownership would be shifted from private hands to a public framework.
The timing and framing of the announcement are positioned as a “breaking” development, indicating urgency and momentum behind Sanders’ push. The initiative is presented not as a minor regulatory tweak, but as a fundamental change in ownership structure. By proposing a direct equity stake of 50% rather than only taxes, subsidies, or voluntary compliance regimes, the bill moves toward a high-impact economic intervention.
In the wider political context, proposals that establish sovereign wealth funds or create public investment vehicles have long been part of debates about how governments manage natural resources, energy sectors, and other strategic industries. Sanders’ bill adapts that style of approach to the tech and AI economy, attempting to apply a comparable logic to emerging technological power.
If enacted, the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act would likely face major scrutiny from stakeholders. Large AI companies and industry groups could argue that the plan could disrupt investment incentives, affect competitiveness, or interfere with business strategy. Tax-and-ownership models can also raise questions about valuation, implementation details, and how the government would manage and exercise its rights as a large shareholder. Even so, the proposal’s intent remains anchored in public control and the belief that the benefits of AI leadership should be shared more directly with the American public.
For now, the most definitive information available in the prompt is the legislation’s headline structure: Sanders plans to introduce a bill that taxes major AI companies and transfers a 50% ownership stake into public control through an American AI sovereign wealth fund framework. The announcement frames this as a direct response to the concentration of power and profits in the AI sector.
Overall, Sanders’ initiative aims to reshape how the largest AI companies are owned and governed by ensuring the public holds a substantial equity position. The proposal highlights a shift from treating AI companies as purely private enterprises toward viewing them as strategic economic assets whose ownership and value should partly belong to the nation.
Source: Source
More Perfect Union: BREAKING: Bernie Sanders will introduce a bill to have the public take a 50% ownership stake in the country’s biggest AI companies. The American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act would have the government tax AI companies, take 50% of the stock, and put it under public control.. #breaking
— @MorePerfectUS May 1, 2026
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