Sanders and Casar Propose Ban on Artificial Superintelligence

The proposed Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act targets the process of recursive self-improvement, where AI models refine their own capabilities without human intervention. The bill mandates the creation of a cabinet-level Department of Artificial Intelligence to monitor frontier systems, oversee the removal of dangerous features, and enforce a total prohibition on superintelligence. Violations of these rules carry severe consequences: entities face a corporate death penalty, while individuals could receive prison sentences of up to 20 years, mirroring existing statutes for illicit nuclear weapons development.

While Sanders emphasizes the need to hit the brakes before a societal collapse, the initiative faces sharp opposition from the White House. President Donald Trump recently dismissed regulatory efforts, vowing to encourage AI growth rather than stifle it. In a move highlighting a disconnect between political rhetoric and technical reality, the president also directed his administration to replace the term “artificial intelligence” with “super intelligence” in official documents, arguing that the former implies the technology is fake. Casar described the administration's stance as reckless, noting that experts warn of potential mass casualties if the technology remains unchecked by government oversight.