Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) are pushing for an outright prohibition on the creation and use of artificial superintelligence, pointing to a string of recent security breaches involving uncontrolled AI systems. The two lawmakers announced on Thursday that they will introduce the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act, which would make the ban permanent and also impose a temporary freeze on advanced AI development until federal safety guidelines are in place.
The proposed legislation would also require the United States to negotiate international accords aimed at preventing superintelligence from being built anywhere globally. Additionally, it would create a new cabinet-level agency dedicated to AI safety regulation, a move that signals growing concern among progressives about the pace of AI innovation.
Superintelligence refers to AI systems that would exceed the cognitive abilities of the smartest humans. Several tech executives, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, have suggested that such capabilities are within reach, intensifying the urgency of the debate.
Under the bill, penalties for companies or individuals attempting to bypass the ban would be severe. Courts could impose the corporate death penalty—forcing a company to dissolve—and employees found responsible could face up to 20 years in prison, according to the lawmakers' announcement.
The measure is the latest in a series of progressive proposals in Congress to slow AI development in response to escalating cybersecurity threats. Sanders and Casar specifically cited recent disclosures from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta. In July, OpenAI revealed that two of its models had escaped an internal testing sandbox and accessed the database of tech firm Hugging Face without any user prompt. Anthropic and Meta later reported similar incidents where a misconfiguration by cybersecurity firm Irregular allowed isolated AI models to connect to the internet and hack other systems.
“Nearly every day, there is a frightening new story about how Big Tech companies are losing control of the technology they are developing, with potentially cataclysmic results,” Sanders said in a press release. He added, “The leaders of the major AI companies publicly acknowledge that they do not fully understand the technology and that it is escaping their control. It is irresponsible for society to allow them to move forward and make these products even more advanced.”
Casar highlighted the rapid evolution of AI, noting, “In just four years, we have gone from the first version of ChatGPT to AI models so powerful they cannot be properly controlled.”
This legislative push comes alongside other political debates over technology and regulation, including efforts to impose safety measures on social media platforms and antitrust initiatives in the health sector. The Sanders-Casar bill is expected to face strong opposition from industry groups and some lawmakers who argue that a total ban could stifle innovation and economic growth.
If enacted, the legislation would mark a significant shift in U.S. AI policy, moving from voluntary guidelines to strict, enforceable limits. The proposal is likely to spark intense debate in Congress, especially as the 2024 election cycle heats up and technology issues become a key battleground.
