Sanders and Casar Propose Ban on AI Superintelligence

September 09, 2026
Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Greg Casar plan legislation that would permanently ban superintelligent AI and pause other advanced AI work until federal safety rules are established.

Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Greg Casar will introduce the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act in the US Congress, according to an announcement from Sanders' office. The bill would permanently prohibit the development and deployment of superintelligent AI and pause other advanced AI development until a federal regulator establishes safety rules.

The proposal defines superintelligent AI as systems that match or exceed human cognitive performance across a broad range of tasks. It also covers systems capable of undermining governments or resisting shutdown commands. The bill would direct the United States to pursue international agreements intended to prevent development of such systems in other countries.

The legislation would create a Cabinet level federal AI agency and an advisory board. The agency would monitor frontier AI systems, oversee the removal of dangerous capabilities and supervise the destruction of prohibited systems. Violations could carry prison sentences of up to 20 years for individuals and what the proposal calls a corporate death penalty for companies.

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