AI TRENDS | Sanders Warns Tech Billionaires Could Control AI Without Public Oversight

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders on Monday renewed his push for stricter artificial intelligence regulation, warning that a small group of tech billionaire giants should not be allowed to decide AI's impact on society without public oversight. According to Sina Finance, Sanders wrote on X that the most urgent issue of our time is oligarchy and the control of AI by tech billionaire giants. He said Congress must act and added that society cannot allow a small group of greedy people to play God and decide humanity's future, including the economy, environment, institutions, and personal privacy, without public participation. The remarks came days after Sanders and Texas Representative Greg Casar introduced the Ban on Artificial Superintelligence Act, which would permanently ban the development and deployment of superintelligence and temporarily pause advanced AI development until federal regulators set safety standards. The bill also calls for international agreements to prevent superintelligence from being developed globally. According to Sina Finance, the proposal has drawn criticism from investors and technology policy advocates. Sanders also called for a nationwide pause on new data center projects, later working with New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to include the idea in legislation. Although the proposal initially faced opposition within the Democratic Party, similar calls have since gained support from lawmakers in both parties. Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott has paused approvals for new data centers pending assessments of projects' water and electricity needs, while Pennsylvania Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro has said new related projects must obtain local permits.