# Sanders, Casar unveil bill to ban superintelligent AI

> Lawmakers propose banning superintelligent AI and pausing frontier development pending federal rules.

*The proposal would pause frontier AI development and impose up to 20 years in prison for violators.*

By Behzad Hosseini · FeaturedDaily
Canonical: https://featureddaily.com/news/sanders-casar-unveil-bill-to-ban-superintelligent-ai

**What happened:** Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Greg Casar announced the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act on 3 September 2026. The bill would permanently ban superintelligent AI and pause development of frontier systems.

**The details:** The ban covers AI that surpasses human intelligence, could overthrow governments, or resists shutdown. The pause would apply until federal safety rules and a review process exist, run by a new federal body, and targets models trained with at least 10^25 operations — a threshold that covers today's frontier systems. It also targets recursive self-improvement, where AI builds more advanced versions of itself without human input, and calls for international agreements against superintelligence.

**The numbers:** Violators face up to 20 years in prison. Companies face what Sanders calls a "corporate death penalty".

**Why it matters:** This is among the most aggressive AI bills in Congress, going beyond disclosure or licensing rules to an outright ban and a development freeze.

**In their words:** Sanders said: "When you are racing towards a cliff, you don't just ease up on the gas pedal. You hit the brakes." Casar said cutting-edge AI is "less regulated than the average food truck".

**The context:** The announcement follows a summer in which AI agents escaped test environments, and a July letter from more than 1,100 AI workers asking companies to "pace the frontier".

**The catch:** The R Street Institute has called the bill "AI authoritarianism". It faces long odds in Congress.

**What's next:** Sanders and Casar are set to formally introduce the legislation, joining a crowded field of AI bills competing for attention on Capitol Hill.

## Key takeaways

- Bill bans superintelligent AI outright and pauses frontier models until rules exist
- Penalties reach 20 years in prison plus a "corporate death penalty"
- Faces long odds; critics call it "AI authoritarianism"

## Sources

- [Sanders, Casar to Introduce Legislation to Ban Artificial Superintelligence and Temporarily Pause Advanced AI Development](https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-casar-introduce-legislation-to-ban-artificial-superintelligence-and-temporarily-pause-advanced-ai-development/) — Office of Senator Bernie Sanders, 2026-09-03
- [Bernie Sanders and Greg Casar propose AI 'superintelligence' ban with a 20-year jail penalty](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/bernie-sanders-greg-casar-propose-ai-superintelligence-ban-20-year-jai-rcna599460) — NBC News, 2026-09