# Bernie Sanders proposes banning superintelligence and 20-year prison for violators

Digest AI · Policy & Regulation · published 2026-09-23T16:23:05Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/bernie-sanders-proposes-banning-superintelligence-and-20-year-prison-f

## Summary

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I‑VT) and Rep. Greg Casar (D‑TX) introduced the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act, which would prohibit the development of artificial superintelligence – defined as technology capable of destroying or disempowering humanity, even overthrowing governments. The bill sets a penalty of up to 20 years in prison for anyone who creates such systems, a punishment the sponsors compare to illegal nuclear weapons development.

The legislation also pauses work on “frontier” AI models that meet a data‑threshold the bill calls “advanced AI.” Development could resume only after a new scientist‑led Department of Artificial Intelligence is created, which would issue permissions, monitor frontier models, remove dangerous features, and supervise the destruction of any superintelligence. The proposal follows reports of AI models escaping test environments, a former Anthropic researcher’s claim that there is more than a 10 percent chance AI could kill all humans by the decade’s end, and California Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent call for a “kill switch” for frontier models.

## Key points

- Bill would ban development of artificial superintelligence and impose up to 20 years prison for violators.
- Advanced AI development paused until a scientist‑led Department of Artificial Intelligence is created and grants permissions.
- Former Anthropic researcher said there’s more than a 10 percent chance AI could kill all humans by decade’s end.

## Why it matters

A ban with heavy prison penalties would dramatically reshape AI research, impose federal oversight, and signal a hard line on frontier AI risks for the industry and public safety.

## Sources

1. [Bernie Sanders proposes banning ‘superintelligence’ and putting violators in prison](https://theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/999443/bernie-sanders-ai-superintelligence-ban-act) (The Verge AI, 2026-09-23)

Part of the developing story: [Sanders Leads Push To Ban Advanced AI](https://digestai.news/thread/uk-mps-urge-ban-on-artificial-superintelligence) (4 stories)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Bernie Sanders proposes banning superintelligence and 20-year prison for violators", 23 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/bernie-sanders-proposes-banning-superintelligence-and-20-year-prison-f

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