Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced he will be introducing a bill that “would give the public a direct ownership stake in the largest A.I. [(Artificial Intelligence)] companies” in the U.S.
According to an op-ed by the independent lawmaker published in the New York Times (Times), the legislation, the American A.I. Sovereign Wealth Fund Act, would establish a “sovereign wealth fund through a one-time 50% tax” on the U.S. companies’ stocks rather than their profits.
In his piece, Sen. Sanders argues that A.I. tools’ data and language have been built through the human race’s collective intelligence, citing Open A.I.’s CEO, Sam Altman, who’s affirmed that A.I. models were trained on our “collective experience, knowledge” and “learnings of humanity.”
“A.I. is built on our collective intelligence: our books, songs, artwork, journalism, computer code, scientific research, videos, conversations, images and ideas spanning generations,” Sen. Sanders wrote.
"In other words, the creative work of millions of people — writers, artists, musicians, journalists, teachers, scientists and ordinary citizens — has essentially been stolen by some of the wealthiest people in the world," Sanders asserted.
"It’s time for us to reclaim it."
The Wealth Fund's Function
If the legislation is passed, Sanders affirms that the bill would grant the public a direct role in determining the future of A.I. The legislation would allow the federal government to use voting shares and equal representation on each company’s board to block decisions that would negatively impact the American people, thereby enabling it to push for policies that will help them.
Secondly, the legislation would ensure that the revenue generated by A.I. models is used to improve the lives of the American public rather than making “the richest people in the world even richer.”
Who Will Control A.I.'s future?
A.I.’s role in contemporary society is no longer a theory, and as advancements continue, it will continue to transform the way human civilization interacts with the world.
As we continue to approach the "point of no return," Sanders does not question whether Artificial Intelligence will change the world but rather, “Who will own and control that future?”
“Will A.I. be used to make life better for working families? Will it enrich our quality of life? Will it help us eliminate poverty, extend life expectancies and solve the climate crisis?” he questions. Or will humanity’s future be determined by a handful of ‘tech oligarchs’, “with virtually no democratic input, who stand to become even richer and more powerful than they are today?”
“That is the choice before us,” Sanders affirms.
