Sanders, Casar introduce bill to ban AI superintelligence, create federal AI department
On September 23, 2026, Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Greg Casar introduced legislation to ban AI superintelligence—systems exceeding human cognition or capable of destroying humanity—and pause advanced AI development until a new federal Department of Artificial Intelligence establishes safety rules. The bill includes penalties of up to 20 years in prison and asset forfeiture for violators. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsed the bill, comparing penalties to those for unlawful nuclear weapons development. The proposal was unveiled during Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit with President Donald Trump in Washington.
Editorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Reports are grouped by semantic similarity and deterministic rules. Language models may assist titles, summaries, translation and cross-source analysis; the page reads the event directly, while its address stays stable when the title changes.
- Summary covers the current reports
Cross-source coverage
Reporting timeline
AOC backs Bernie Sanders bill banning AI superintelligence with nuclear weapon-like penalties
In a post on X, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) officially endorsed a bill proposed by Senator Bernie Sanders that would ban the development of AI superintelligence. The post states that violators of the proposed ban would face penalties similar to those for unlawfully developing nuclear weapons. This endorsement signals growing political support for stringent regulation of advanced artificial intelligence, framing the risks of superintelligent AI as comparable to nuclear proliferation. The bill and its penalties represent a significant legislative effort to preemptively control the most powerful forms of AI technology.
Sanders and Casar unveil bill to ban artificial superintelligence and create Department of AI
Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Greg Casar are unveiling legislation that would ban artificial superintelligence and establish a new federal Department of Artificial Intelligence. The bill proposes an immediate pause on training and deploying 'advanced AI'—defined as systems trained with at least 10^25 operations—until the department creates safety rules and model-review processes. It would prohibit systems with 'superintelligence precursor' capabilities, such as automating AI research, resisting shutdown, self-modifying, evading human oversight, unauthorized hacking, or assisting with weapons of mass destruction. The new department would have power to force flagged models offline and destroy confirmed superintelligence. Advanced AI developers would require federal charters with government access to their systems and infrastructure. The bill includes a 'corporate death penalty' for violators, with asset and IP forfeiture, and up to 20 years in prison for individuals. It also makes it U.S. policy to stop superintelligence globally through international agreements, allied coordination, and AI-compute export controls.
Read sourceBREAKING: Bernie Sanders officially introduces the “Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act,” which would permanently ban superintelligent AI & impose prison sentences of up to 20 years for violations.
Senator Bernie Sanders has officially introduced the 'Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act' in the United States Congress. The proposed legislation would impose a permanent ban on the development and deployment of superintelligent AI systems. Violations of the act would carry severe penalties, including prison sentences of up to 20 years. The bill represents a significant legislative effort to preemptively prohibit advanced AI capabilities that the sponsor considers potentially dangerous. The announcement was made via a social media post, framing the move as a breaking news development. The exact text of the bill and its specific definitions of 'superintelligent AI' have not been detailed in the announcement, but the stated goal is a complete and permanent prohibition with criminal consequences for non-compliance.
Show 2 older updatesHide older updates
Sanders and Casar propose ban on AI superintelligence, pause on advanced development
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) introduced legislation on September 23, 2026, that would ban AI 'superintelligence'—AI exceeding human cognition across domains or capable of destroying humanity. The bill also calls for a pause on advanced AI development until a new federal Department of Artificial Intelligence establishes safety rules. The proposal was unveiled during Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit with President Donald Trump in Washington. Trump, speaking at the U.N. General Assembly, opposed global AI control and framed AI development as a race, stating 'whoever wins superintelligence wins.' Sanders called it 'fairly insane' that tech leaders acknowledge losing control, warning of catastrophic risks akin to Chernobyl or a pandemic. The bill would require firms to submit pre-development plans and obtain approval before deployment. Rep. Ro Khanna urged Trump and Xi to focus on AI safety and inspections. Brendan Steinhauser of the Alliance for Secure AI credited the lawmakers for taking superintelligence seriously but advocated a more measured approach.
Read sourceSanders and Casar propose ban on AI superintelligence, pause on advanced development
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, introduced legislation on September 23, 2026, to ban AI 'superintelligence' that exceeds human cognition or could destroy humanity. The bill would also pause advanced AI development until a new federal Department of Artificial Intelligence establishes safety rules. The proposal was unveiled during Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit with President Donald Trump in Washington. Trump, speaking at the U.N. General Assembly, framed AI development as a race with China and rejected global control. Sanders called it 'fairly insane' for tech leaders to acknowledge losing control while advancing AI, warning of catastrophic risks akin to Chernobyl or a pandemic. Casar expressed excitement about AI's potential for medical breakthroughs but stressed the need for mandatory safety standards, not voluntary industry commitments. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) urged an agreement with China on inspections and safety. The Alliance for Secure AI's CEO praised the seriousness of the effort but advocated a more measured approach.