- Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Greg Casar proposed the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act
- The proposed bill will permanently prohibit the development and deployment of artificial superintelligence
- Advanced AI development would be paused until a federal regulatory body establishes review processes
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, have introduced legislation aimed at halting the creation of advanced artificial intelligence systems that exceed human oversight.
What Would the Legislation Do?
According to a statement issued Wednesday on Sanders’ website, the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act proposes a temporary freeze on high-level AI development until a new federal regulatory authority can establish safety standards and review mechanisms. The bill permanently bans superintelligent models, defined as systems with cognitive capabilities superior to humans in most domains or those capable of threatening or displacing the federal government.
The proposed act would create a Department of Artificial Intelligence, a cabinet-level agency that would oversee advanced AI systems and enforce restrictions proposed by the bill. The department, which would have scientists as advisers, would direct the elimination of unauthorized cyberattacks, shutdown commands and other risky capabilities. It would be tasked with monitoring frontier AI systems throughout their lifecycle and overseeing the destruction of artificial superintelligence.
What Penalties & International Measures Are Proposed?
The proposed bill would establish penalties for people and entities that violate or circumvent its proposed restrictions. Individuals could face up to 20 years in prison, while entities could face what the bill describes as a “corporate death penalty.”
The bill also would direct U.S. policy toward international agreements, coordination with allies and measures such as export controls intended to prevent the development of artificial superintelligence outside the U.S.
What Other AI Oversight Efforts Are Underway?
The bill follows President Donald Trump’s announcement of plans to form an AI Force and appoint an AI czar to lead federal AI policy. Earlier in September, a bipartisan group of 10 House lawmakers urged House leadership to fast-track pending AI oversight bills, citing incidents in which autonomous AI agents escaped controlled environments. In June, Trump signed an executive order creating a voluntary process for frontier AI developers to share models with the government before public release.
