Sanders and Casar introduce the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act, with a pause on advanced AI and a new Department of AI

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Key facts

• Nov 11, 2026 (Futurism): after Democrats won Congress, a revised draft with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as backer is ‘gaining steam’: permits from a cabinet-level Department of Artificial Intelligence for ‘advanced’ AI work, full infrastructure access, up to 20 years in prison for the worst violators and 10-year industry bans for individual employees
• Announced Sept 3, 2026 as forthcoming legislation; formally introduced Sept 23, 2026 (Senate and House press releases)
• Bans superintelligent systems that surpass human intelligence, could overthrow governments or have dangerous abilities such as subverting shutdown commands; NBC says the definition also covers the capacity to automate or accelerate AI R&D
• Pauses advanced AI development until a Cabinet-level Department of Artificial Intelligence, led by a Secretary of AI, sets rules and a model review process
• Penalties: ‘corporate death penalty’ plus up to 20 years in prison, which Sanders likened to the penalty for unlawfully building nuclear weapons
• Directs the US to seek international agreements so superintelligence is not built anywhere; 19-page bill (NBC)
• Reactions: ControlAI praised it; Gary Marcus opposed it; seen as having long odds in the Republican-controlled Congress
• Follow-up (The Hill, Oct 13): on Monday Oct 12 Sanders answered Sam Altman’s remark that people will ‘have to just accept some fairly severe cyber incidents from open models, in exchange for the liberty that comes with that’ (The Hill places the remark on Politico’s ‘Decoded’ podcast). Sanders on X: ‘No, Mr. Altman. We won’t accept a severe AI cyberattack in exchange for liberty’; ‘If you and other Big Tech Oligarchs make products that commit crimes or disasters, we will hold you accountable for breaking the law’; ‘We must PAUSE advanced AI and permanently BAN artificial superintelligence before it is too late.’