Senator Bernie Sanders proposed the establishment of a government-backed fund that would own 50% of the shares of AI companies, arguing that 'the profits from AI should be used for the benefit of the people.'



Senator

Bernie Sanders , who identifies as a democratic socialist and ran in the 2020 US presidential primaries, argued that the profits generated by AI, which is built on the collective intelligence of humanity, should be used for the benefit of the people. He proposed the establishment of a government-backed fund that would own 50% of the shares of AI companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic.



Sanders Proposes Sovereign Wealth Fund to Harness AI Profits for Public Good | Truthout
https://truthout.org/articles/sanders-proposes-sovereign-wealth-fund-to-harness-ai-profits-for-public-good/

Sanders proposes having government take half of Anthropic and OpenAI
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/finance-and-economy/4589296/bernie-sanders-proposes-government-take-half-anthropic-openai/

Bernie Sanders Proposes To Seize Half-Ownership of Large AI Firms
https://freebeacon.com/democrats/bernie-sanders-proposes-to-seize-half-ownership-of-large-ai-firms/

Sanders has advocated for addressing inequality, achieving universal healthcare, improving education support systems, and protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ and minority groups, and has garnered strong support, particularly among millennials and Gen Z.

On June 1, 2026, Sanders published an op-ed in the New York Times proposing the 'American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act,' which would ensure that all Americans could benefit from AI.

The American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act would allow the U.S. government to acquire 50% of the shares of OpenAI, Anthropic, and other AI companies as a one-time flat tax, and then establish a new fund.

Regarding the idea of a government-backed fund that owns shares in AI companies, Sanders argues, 'The principle is simple: if public resources generate wealth, then the people should share in that wealth. AI is built on public resources far more valuable than oil: humanity's accumulated knowledge, creativity, and labor. The future of AI and the fate of humanity should not be decided behind closed doors in Silicon Valley. Nor should it be dictated by billionaires pursuing the maximization of power and profit. It should be decided by workers, parents, teachers, artists, scientists, communities, and the American people.'



The government-owned fund will give citizens a direct role in determining the future of AI, and will ensure that the trillions of dollars (hundreds of trillions of yen) that AI could potentially generate are used to improve the lives of American citizens, rather than making the 'world's richest people' even richer.

Sanders explained, 'The billions of dollars, or even trillions of dollars, that this fund will generate will be used as direct payments to the American people. And as the wealth generated by the fund grows, its profits will be used to ensure that all people in our country can live decent and dignified lives, including healthcare, education, and housing.'

While the idea of a government-owned fund may seem radical, some academics and major AI companies have already proposed the creation of a 'public fund to broadly distribute AI-related profits,' and government-backed funds already exist in Norway and Alaska. Furthermore, President Donald Trump also

wants to create a government-backed fund to make large-scale investments in key industries, so Sanders explains that the establishment of such a fund is not a novel idea.

Sanders said, 'I understand that it is a complex issue for the government to make significant investments in companies, especially those where AI is only a part of their business. More detailed information, such as specific spending priorities and implementation methods, will be included in the bill that will be announced in the coming weeks.'



Meanwhile, the conservative news site The Washington Free Beacon argued that Sanders' proposal is a prime example of how universities and foundations infiltrate the political system with left-wing ideology. It criticized Sanders for focusing only on the negative aspects of AI and ignoring the benefits it could bring.

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in AI, Posted by log1h_ik