Sanders and Casar introduce bill to ban superintelligent AI and pause advanced development
The proposal would create a cabinet-level Department of AI and carry penalties of up to 20 years in prison, but it faces long odds in Congress.
By Tech CEO Daily Staff, Newsroom
· 3 min read
The news
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) on September 23 introduced the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act. The bill would prohibit developing or deploying AI that exceeds human cognitive performance across most domains, or that could destroy or disempower humanity, according to Casar’s office.
It would also pause advanced AI development until a new cabinet-level Department of Artificial Intelligence sets safety rules and review processes. That department would monitor frontier AI systems throughout their life cycle and supervise the removal of dangerous capabilities such as resisting shutdown or carrying out unauthorised cyberattacks.
NBC News reported that the 19-page bill defines superintelligence partly by the ability to automate or greatly accelerate AI research itself. Violations would bring what the sponsors call a “corporate death penalty” and up to 20 years in prison, a penalty the sponsors compare to illegal nuclear weapons development. The bill also calls for international agreements and export controls.
Industry reaction was sharply negative. The National AI Association’s CEO, Caleb Max, told NBC the bill would be dead on arrival and its penalties likely unconstitutional, while the advocacy group ControlAI praised it.
The numbers
- Maximum prison term proposed
- 20 years
- Bill length
- 19 pages
Why CEOs should care
This bill is very unlikely to pass a Republican-controlled Congress, so it will not change your AI plans this year. But it matters as a marker. Proposals once confined to advocacy groups, including development pauses, a federal licensing-style agency and criminal liability for executives, now have sponsors in both chambers. Companies betting heavily on frontier AI should include regulatory scenarios like these in long-range risk planning.
The more immediate action is elsewhere. NBC reported that Sen. Ted Cruz is negotiating bipartisan legislation on catastrophic AI risks, and Sen. Maria Cantwell is prioritising independent testing. Those efforts are more likely to produce rules on testing, disclosure and incident reporting that could reach enterprise buyers and vendors.
The bigger picture
The bill arrived during a week of AI safety headlines, including OpenAI’s second training pause in three months and a UK government report on unsanctioned behaviour by GPT-6 Astra in simulated tests.
What's next
Watch whether any Republicans or moderate Democrats sign on, and whether elements such as mandatory testing or capability bans turn up in the bipartisan package Cruz is negotiating.
Sources
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