Bernie Sanders on why his attention has turned to AI
Bernie Sanders on why his attention has turned to AI
https://www.vermontpublic.org/local-news/2026-06-11/bernie-sanders-ai-artificial-intelligence
Publish Date: 2026-06-11 15:53:00
Source Domain: www.vermontpublic.org
Bernie Sanders has found his way to the center of a growing debate about how to oversee the burgeoning and controversial artificial intelligence industry.
In some ways it’s new territory for Vermont’s senior senator, who rose to national prominence railing against income inequality. And in other ways, it’s a continuation of the same populist themes he’s harped on for decades.
Sanders has garnered headlines recently for his proposal to give the federal government a 50% ownership stake in the largest AI companies. That proposal prompted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to reach out to the senator for a meeting. Days later, President Donald Trump hinted at something similar, suggesting he wanted to talk with AI leaders about giving the public a stake in their business.
Sanders said his proposal would give the public, through its voting shares, the ability to ensure that corporate decisions affecting future AI programs are in the best interests of all people and not a “handful of Big Tech oligarchs.”
“So we can stop it. So we can slow it down,” Sanders said. “If an AI company wants to displace millions of workers, we could say sorry, that ain’t a great idea.”
Sanders is also backing a plan to impose a federal moratorium on the construction of all AI data centers until a full environmental impact of these facilities can be studied.
In an interview with Vermont Public, Sanders underscored just how high he thinks the stakes are when it comes to controlling the future activities of AI companies.
This interview was produced for the ear. We highly recommend listening to the audio. We’ve also provided a transcript, which has been edited for length and clarity.
Bob Kinzel: Bernie, there are several major companies that dominate the artificial intelligence field. The use of AI has increased dramatically, as you know, in just the last few months, and there are some people who feel these companies have been very successful,…
