Bernie Sanders wants government to own half of OpenAI and Anthropic through new AI wealth fund
Sen. Bernie Sanders is proposing one of the most sweeping government interventions yet in the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence industry, arguing that the public should directly own a substantial share of the companies driving the technology’s growth.
In a New York Times op-ed, the Vermont independent announced plans to introduce legislation that would require major AI firms such as OpenAI, Anthropic and xAI to transfer stock equivalent to a one-time 50% tax into a new federal sovereign wealth fund.
Sanders argues that because AI systems are built on humanity’s collective knowledge, the public should share in the wealth they generate.
Sanders frames AI as a public resource
Sanders described artificial intelligence as a transformative force that will reshape virtually every aspect of society.
“Artificial intelligence will almost certainly be the most transformational technology in the history of the world,” Sanders wrote. “It will profoundly affect the life of every man, woman and child in our country.”
According to Sanders, the debate surrounding AI should focus not only on technological progress but also on who controls the economic benefits generated by the industry.
“The question, then, is not whether A.I. will change the world. It will. The question is: Who will own and control that future?” he wrote.
Proposal would create a federal AI sovereign wealth fund
At the center of Sanders’s proposal is the creation of what he calls the American A.I. Sovereign Wealth Fund Act.
The legislation would establish a government-controlled investment fund financed through stock transfers from major AI companies rather than traditional tax payments. Sanders said the approach would give Americans a direct ownership stake in firms that could become among the most valuable businesses in history.
“This legislation would give the public a direct ownership stake in the largest A.I. companies in our country,” Sanders wrote.
Unlike a conventional corporate tax, Sanders’s proposal would require companies to contribute equity rather than cash.
The plan “would create a sovereign wealth fund through a one-time 50 percent tax — not on the profits of OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI and other companies, but paid with something far more valuable than that: the stock,” Sanders wrote.
Under the proposal, the federal government would become a major shareholder in leading AI firms, potentially holding ownership stakes worth hundreds of billions of dollars if the industry’s valuations continue to rise.
Sanders argues AI was built on humanity’s collective knowledge
A central argument in Sanders’s proposal is that AI companies rely heavily on publicly created information and creative works.
“Artificial intelligence was not created out of thin air,” Sanders wrote. “The data and language used by generative A.I. tools didn’t just pop into Sam Altman’s head or Elon Musk’s imagination.”
He argued that AI systems are trained on “our books, songs, artwork, journalism, computer code, scientific research, videos, conversations, images and ideas spanning generations.”
Sanders pointed to comments previously made by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who has said AI models were trained on humanity’s “collective experience, knowledge” and “learnings of humanity.”
The senator contended that many creators have not been adequately compensated for the material used to train AI systems.
“For the most part, tech oligarchs have fed this knowledge into their A.I. models without permission, without acknowledgment, without compensation,” Sanders wrote.
He argued that the creative work of writers, artists, musicians, journalists, scientists and other contributors has generated enormous value for AI companies while providing little direct financial return to the people whose work formed the foundation of the technology.
Government would gain voting power and board representation
Beyond generating revenue, Sanders said the sovereign wealth fund would provide the government with influence over how AI companies operate.
“The federal government would have the power, through its voting shares and an equal representation on each company’s board, to block decisions that hurt our citizens and to push for policies that help them,” Sanders said.
The proposal would therefore give the government both a financial stake and a governance role in some of the world’s most influential technology companies.
Direct payments would be distributed to Americans
Sanders said the wealth generated by the fund would be shared directly with the public.
“To start, the billions, if not trillions, of dollars generated by this fund would provide direct payments to the American people,” Sanders said.
He added that future proceeds could help support broader social programs and public services.
“And as the fund generates more and more wealth, the proceeds would be used to ensure that every man, woman and child in our country has a decent and dignified standard of living, including health care, education and housing.”
The proposal reflects Sanders’s broader argument that the economic gains from technological innovation should be broadly shared rather than concentrated among investors and executives.
“Since A.I. is built on the collective knowledge of humanity, the wealth it generates must benefit humanity,” Sanders wrote.
He contrasted that vision with a future in which a small group of technology executives and investors accumulate even greater economic power through AI-driven growth.
Sanders noted that discussions about public wealth funds are not entirely new within the AI sector.
Figures associated with both OpenAI and Anthropic have previously discussed mechanisms that could distribute some AI-generated wealth more broadly across society. Sanders cited those discussions as evidence that even industry leaders recognize the possibility that AI could create extraordinary concentrations of wealth.
His op-ed also linked to a proposal advocating for AI firms to pay taxes in stock rather than cash, giving the public fractional ownership in the companies that benefit from data generated by society.
Legislation faces long odds but could shape the political debate over AI
Sanders said he plans to formally introduce the legislation in the coming weeks, though the proposal faces steep political and legislative hurdles. With many lawmakers wary of granting the federal government large ownership stakes in private companies, the measure is widely viewed as having little chance of becoming law in its current form. Even so, the proposal is likely to attract attention from technology executives, investors and policymakers as concerns grow over AI’s impact on jobs, wealth inequality and corporate power.
While Sanders’s proposal is unlikely to advance far in Congress, it underscores a broader effort by progressives to tap into growing public unease about artificial intelligence ahead of the midterm elections.
By arguing that AI companies are profiting from society’s collective knowledge while concentrating wealth and power among a small group of tech leaders, Sanders is positioning himself on the side of voters who are skeptical of the industry’s rapid rise and increasingly concerned about who will benefit from the AI revolution.
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John Dealbreuin came from a third world country to the US with only $1,000 not knowing anyone; guided by an immigrant dream. In 12 years, he achieved his retirement number.
He started Financial Freedom Countdown to help everyone think differently about their financial challenges and live their best lives. John resides in the San Francisco Bay Area enjoying nature trails and weight training.
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