Poll Finds 69% of Americans Support 50% Public Stake in Largest AI Firms

Cnbc reported that 69% of Americans support requiring AI firms to transfer 50% of their stock to a public sovereign wealth fund, according to a national survey of 1,690 adults conducted in June by research firm Verasight and published earlier this month.

Benjamin Leff, chief executive officer of Verasight, said AI sovereign funds are viewed as a mechanism to share industry gains across society. In June Senator Bernie Sanders introduced the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act.

The measure would grant the public a 50% stake in the largest U.S. AI companies if enacted. Sanders stated last month that the legislation would ensure AI-generated economic benefits improve lives for everyone rather than solely enriching the wealthiest individuals.

He added that the future of AI must not be determined in Silicon Valley boardrooms by those seeking to expand their power and profit. Cnbc reported that Goldman Sachs Senior Global Economist Joseph Briggs estimated more than 9% of the labor force, or about 15 million workers, could lose jobs over a 10-year AI transition period. The bank published the estimate in a report last month.

Briggs described the projected losses as an automation and reallocation shock comparable to those observed in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The Goldman Sachs report stated Briggs expects the losses to be temporary because AI is anticipated to generate many new jobs over the longer term.