Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) announced that he is introducing legislation that would have the government seize a 50 percent ownership stake in the largest artificial intelligence brands in the United States.
You read that right.
Apparently, this is Sanders’ way of saying the socialist part out loud. In an op-ed written for The New York Times, the senator laid out his case for having the government own part of the AI 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.
Sanders goes on to state that AI technology “was not created out of thin air” and that it “is built on our collective intelligence: our books, songs, artwork, journalism, computer code, scientific research, videos, conversations, images and ideas spanning generations.”
The lawmaker reasons that “Since A.I. is built on the collective knowledge of humanity, the wealth it generates must benefit humanity.”
We already know where this is going, don’t we?
“That is why I will soon be introducing the American A.I. Sovereign Wealth Fund Act. This legislation would give the public a direct ownership stake in the largest A.I. companies in our country,” Sanders continued.
One thing about Sanders, is that he always adheres to the communist playbook. He argues that AI should be owned by “the public.” In fact, the title of the op-ed is: “A.I. Is a Public Resource. You Should Own Half of It.”
Us? If Sanders gets his way, how will we own half of AI? It’s a lie. The fact is, the government, which is full of corrupt authoritarian officials, will own the technology — not us.
Anyway, Sanders announced that he would soon introduce the American A.I. Sovereign Wealth Fund Act.
This legislation would give the public a direct ownership stake in the largest A.I. companies in our country. How? It 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.
If passed, this legislation would do two crucial things. First, it would give the public a direct role in determining the future of this technology. No longer would the future of A.I. and the transformation of human life that it will bring be dictated by a handful of Big Tech oligarchs. 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.
He further asserted that the legislation “would guarantee that the trillions of dollars potentially generated by A.I. are used to improve the lives of all of us — not simply to make the richest people in the world even richer.”
I will soon be introducing a bill to give the public a 50% ownership stake in the largest AI companies in America.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) June 2, 2026
This would guarantee that the trillions created by AI are used to improve the lives of all of us — and block oligarch decisions that harm the American people. pic.twitter.com/y3ERWOsRfs
The plan would impose a one-time 50 percent tax on the stock of the biggest AI companies, paid in shares instead of cash. The shares would go into the sovereign wealth fund that the federal government will manage. Then, we get to the part that likely makes Sanders’ hair stand on end: The prospect of controlling these companies.
The government would enjoy voting rights in these companies and equal representation on their boards of directors. This would allow officials “to block decisions that hurt our citizens and to push for policies that help them.”
I know this might sound confusing, but I’ll translate socialistspeak to English: “We’re gonna take over these companies and make sure they aren’t doing anything that goes against our agenda.”
Sanders argues that his bill would address several problems that have arisen as the result of the rise of AI and prevent evil billionaires from reaping all the economic gains from the technology. He claims that without the government sticking its nose in our business, companies could make decisions that harm workers, spread misinformation, or create other types of societal damage without accountability.
You know, because the government never harms workers, spreads misinformation, or causes societal damage.
The proposal represents a glaring example of government overreach that would drastically expand the size and scope of federal power. By seizing ownership in these companies, this bill would force the state into the boardrooms of those deciding how to develop one of the most powerful technological revolutions we have seen in ages.
Yes, there are definitely many issues with artificial intelligence — especially with it becoming such a powerful force in everyday life in just a few short years. No, I don’t fully trust those running these companies.
But I trust the government even less. If they are allowed to seize control of 50 percent of these companies, it won’t stop there. At some point, why not just take more and more ownership? The idea here is to have the state control artificial intelligence, not to benefit the people or “workers,” as Sanders suggests. Instead, the state will use AI to bolster its power and influence over the populace under the guise of protecting us.
We have already seen the government try to crack down on social media users who express dissenting views. Even further, the surveillance state has been out of control for decades. Do we really want the people in Washington, D.C. to have this level of control over AI? In the words of American Idol’s Randy Jackson, “that’s a no from me, dawg.”