Bernie Sanders proposes bill to halt advanced AI development

US Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Greg Casar have introduced legislation seeking to temporarily halt advanced artificial intelligence development and permanently ban artificial superintelligence. According to Decrypt, the proposed Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act would suspend advanced AI development until a new federal agency establishes safety standards and procedures for reviewing AI models.

The bill proposes a cabinet-level agency to monitor advanced AI systems, oversee the removal of dangerous capabilities and enforce restrictions. Companies violating the proposed rules could face penalties, including up to 20 years in prison and what lawmakers described as a “corporate death penalty.”

Sanders said increasingly powerful AI systems must not be developed beyond humanity’s ability to control them. The proposal comes as concerns grow over AI safety and cybersecurity risks nationwide.