US Senator Bernie Sanders has put forward a radical legislative initiative aimed at redistributing the wealth generated by artificial intelligence. Under his proposal, the largest corporations operating in the AI sector would be required to transfer 50% of their stock into public ownership.

Mechanics of the "Technology Tax"

The core of the proposal involves imposing a 50% tax on the stock of leading AI companies. The acquired shares would not simply be confiscated but transferred to the management of a specially created state sovereign wealth fund. This scheme would ensure the government holds a direct ownership stake in tech giants and provide citizens with a tool to influence the activities of these corporations.

Sanders argues that the trillions of dollars generated by artificial intelligence should serve the interests of all Americans, rather than remaining in the pockets of a narrow circle of billionaires.

Collective Intelligence as the Basis of Wealth

The senator's key argument is built on the nature of neural networks themselves. The foundation for AI operation is collective human intelligence: books, songs, works of art, software code, scientific research, and ideas accumulated over generations. Sanders cites an admission by Sam Altman, who noted that models are trained on the "collective experience, knowledge, and learning of humanity".

The senator's logic is simple: if AI is built on shared knowledge, then the profit from it should belong to society. He explicitly stated that the current model allows Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Ellison, and venture funds to profit from the intellectual labor of others.

Predecessors' Experience and Global Analogues

Interestingly, the tech leaders themselves have previously voiced similar ideas. OpenAI proposed creating a public wealth fund to redistribute the benefits of AI growth. Elon Musk, in turn, wrote about the necessity of a "universal high income" through checks from the federal government as a way to combat unemployment caused by automation.

Sanders proposes combining these ideas, relying on successful international experience:

  • Norwegian Model: The Government Pension Fund Global, formed from oil revenues, is valued at $2.3 trillion and finances the country's social security system.
  • Alaskan Experience: The state's Permanent Fund has been paying annual dividends ranging from $1,000 to $2,000 to every resident since 1980.

The senator's initiative aims to adapt these models to the digital economy, obliging AI companies to share ownership with society.

A Radical Course

Sanders' approach appears extremely radical, yet he is not new to making tough proposals in the technology sector. Previously, he called for a halt to the construction of all AI data centers to "give democracy a chance to catch up with technology." Now, his focus has shifted to economic redistribution, questioning private ownership of key assets of the digital age.