Sanders Proposes Forcing OpenAI, Anthropic and xAI to Give Federal Government 50% Equity, Board Seats and Veto Power

Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced legislation Monday that would require OpenAI, Anthropic and xAI to transfer 50% of their equity to a new federal fund. The American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act would give the fund voting shares and equal board representation in each company, allowing it to veto decisions deemed harmful to the public.

Revenue from the holdings would be distributed to Americans as cash payments, with later proceeds directed toward healthcare, education and housing. , said the measure addresses the fact that AI systems are trained on Americans’ collective knowledge and labor, often without consent or compensation.

He argued that the financial rewards should be shared broadly rather than concentrated among executives such as Elon Musk, Sam Altman and Dario Amodei.

The senator cited Norway’s sovereign wealth fund and Alaska’s Permanent Fund Dividend as models. He noted that in May, 70% of Americans said AI is advancing too quickly and 77% feared the loss of entire industries. OpenAI, Anthropic and xAI did not respond to Benzinga’s requests for comment.