Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders announced he will introduce legislation to give the American public a direct ownership stake in the country's largest artificial intelligence companies. Writing in the New York Times, Sanders laid out the case for the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act, which would create a federally managed fund created not with cash, but with stock. Sanders proposes a one-time transfer of 50 percent of equity from companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI to the government, arguing that since AI is built on the accumulated knowledge, creativity, conversations, and labor of the American people — typically without permission or payment — the American people deserve a cut of the profits. The fund would acquire half the stock of the largest AI companies through a mandated equity transfer, which Sanders is explicit is not a profits tax. The government would hold voting shares and receive equal board representation at each company, giving it formal power to block decisions deemed harmful to the public. Revenue would flow directly to Americans as cash payments, with proceeds eventually supporting broader public goods including healthcare, education, and housing. Sanders points to Norway's sovereign wealth fund and Alaska's Permanent Fund Dividend as working models. He notes versions of this idea have come from the AI industry itself, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Anthropic, and Musk. Sanders acknowledges the legislation is still being written.