Senator Bernie Sanders introduced the American A.I. Sovereign Wealth Fund Act, proposing public ownership of major AI companies. The legislation would establish a sovereign wealth funded through a 50 percent tax on stock, not profits, of companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI. Sanders argues AI was built on collective human knowledge, making its benefits rightfully belong to the public.

The plan gives the government voting shares and board representation in AI companies, allowing oversight of decisions affecting citizens. Sanders references Norway's oil fund worth $2 trillion and Alaska's dividend program as precedents for distributing resource wealth to citizens.

The proposal addresses concerns that AI development is controlled by tech oligarchs without democratic input. Sanders emphasizes that when public resources generate wealth, the public should share in it. He plans to introduce detailed legislation in coming weeks specifying implementation mechanics and spending priorities.