The Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act

Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Greg Casar introduced the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act on September 3, 2026, with a formal public unveiling on September 23. The bill would permanently prohibit development or deployment of ASI, defined as a system that matches or exceeds human cognitive performance across a broad range of domains, or one capable of planning and executing the disempowerment of humanity including overthrowing governments. An immediate pause applies to systems trained with at least 10^25 operations until a new cabinet-level Department of Artificial Intelligence establishes federal safety rules. The Department could force flagged models offline, and confirmed superintelligence must be destroyed immediately. The bill also bans systems with 'superintelligence precursor' capabilities such as automating AI research, resisting shutdown, self-modification, or assisting with weapons of mass destruction. Advanced AI developers would need federal charters and must grant government access to their systems, staff, and physical infrastructure. Penalties include a 'corporate death penalty' involving asset and IP forfeiture and prison terms of up to 20 years for certain individuals. The bill directs the US to pursue international agreements and export controls to halt superintelligence development globally. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, separately, said a pause on AI development is not going to happen because the entire US incentive structure works against it, and framed AI development as a race between the US and China.