Sanders Slams Tech Giants' AI Power Monopoly, Urges Congressional Action

On Monday, Senator Bernie Sanders intensified his push for stricter AI regulation, warning that a handful of tech billionaire giants should not be allowed to determine the technology's impact on society without public oversight.

Sanders Warns of AI "Oligarchy"

"The most urgent issue of our time is oligarchy and the power of tech billionaires over AI," Sanders wrote on X, adding, "We cannot allow a few greedy individuals to play God and decide the future of humanity—our economy, environment, democracy, privacy, and more—without public participation."

"Congress must act," he added.

The most urgent issue of our time is oligarchy and the power of tech billionaires over AI.

We cannot allow a few greedy individuals to play God and decide the future of humanity—our economy, environment, democracy, privacy, and more—without public participation.

Congress must act.

— Bernie Sanders, September 7, 2026

The remarks come days after Sanders and Representative Greg Casar announced the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act, one of the most aggressive AI proposals in Congress to date.

Sanders Seeks to Ban Superintelligence

The legislation would permanently ban the development and deployment of superintelligent AI, while temporarily pausing advanced AI development until federal regulators establish safety standards.

The bill also calls for international agreements to prevent superintelligence from being developed globally. The proposal has drawn criticism from investors and technology policy advocates.

Pershing Square founder Bill Ackman argued that halting U.S. development could allow geopolitical rivals to achieve superintelligence first.

Sanders' AI Push Expands to Data Centers and Public Ownership

Sanders has also pushed for a nationwide data center moratorium, later working with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to incorporate the idea into legislation. Despite initial resistance from Democrats, similar calls have since gained bipartisan support.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has paused approvals for new data centers pending a review of their water and power demands, while Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro now requires local approval for new projects.

In June, Sanders proposed that the public hold ownership stakes in major AI labs, with government having a say in deployment decisions. The idea echoes proposals from Anthropic and OpenAI.

Last week, Nvidia Corporation CEO Jensen Huang urged regulators to focus on real-world risks, saying, "Don't regulate hypothetical theoretical harms; regulate actual and pragmatic harms."

Microsoft Corporation co-founder Bill Gates also said he would support a credible global plan to slow AI progress, though he acknowledged such a plan is unlikely to emerge.