Sanders introduces bill to ban artificial superintelligence and pause AI development

Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Greg Casar introduced legislation on September 3 that would ban the development of artificial superintelligence and impose a temporary pause on advanced AI development, according to a press release issued through Sanders’ Senate office.

The announcement, posted to sanders.senate.gov, frames the bill as addressing the risks posed by AI systems that exceed human capability across domains. The press release was circulated and discussed on Hacker News following its publication.

Details beyond the release’s stated purpose, including specific enforcement mechanisms, thresholds defining “superintelligence,” or the duration of any proposed pause, are not specified in the available source material. No cosponsor list beyond Sanders and Casar is given, nor is a timeline for committee action or a vote.

The source material does not include reactions from AI companies, other lawmakers, or advocacy groups. No text of the bill itself was provided beyond the press release announcing its introduction.

This is a preliminary account based on a single press release and its discussion thread. Further reporting would be needed to establish the bill’s specific provisions, its prospects in Congress, and responses from affected industries.