US Senator Sanders proposes establishing an AI sovereign wealth fund, suggesting a 50% equity tax on leading AI companies.

US Senator Bernie Sanders has announced his plan to introduce the "American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act." This proposed legislation aims to impose a one-time 50% equity tax on the largest AI companies in the United States. The shares acquired through this tax would then be injected into a national sovereign wealth fund. Ultimately, the wealth generated by AI would be shared with all American citizens through cash dividends, healthcare, education, and housing benefits. Sanders argues that the development of artificial intelligence is built upon the long-term knowledge and public investment of humanity, and therefore, the trillions of dollars in wealth generated by AI should not be solely acquired by a few tech companies and their shareholders. He also criticized that since Donald Trump's election, the wealth of the seven richest tech moguls in the US has increased by approximately $1.15 trillion, while most Americans continue to face financial pressures. This proposal leans more towards "wealth redistribution" than directly restricting technological development, a shift from his previous stance of pausing the expansion of AI data centers. However, market observers point out that there is currently no clear evidence of AI causing widespread job displacement in the US, and a one-time 50% equity tax is virtually unprecedented in American history. Past government interventions, such as the TARP bailout program during the financial crisis or strategic government investments in companies, were based on the government providing capital in exchange for equity, not directly seizing corporate shares. Furthermore, the bill has numerous unresolved issues, including the scope of applicable companies, the mechanism for fund distribution, its relationship with existing welfare systems, and specific implementation pathways. Sanders stated that the full text of the bill will be released in the coming weeks. While the proposal is currently in the policy advocacy stage and faces significant uncertainty regarding legislation and implementation, it reflects the growing discussion in American political circles about "AI wealth distribution" and "sharing AI dividends with all citizens" as the AI industry's value rapidly expands. For leading AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic, related regulatory and tax policy risks may become important future considerations.