Sanders bill would jail AI developers for pursuing superintelligence

Senators Bernie Sanders and Greg Cezar introduced the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act, which would impose up to 20 years in prison on developers who pursue artificial superintelligence. The bill's sponsors compare the penalty to those for illegal development of nuclear weapons.

Why it matters: This is among the most severe AI legislation proposed in the US so far, arriving right as Amodei and other lab CEOs publicly warn about AI risk — giving lawmakers political cover for measures far harsher than what the industry itself is requesting. Whether it gains any traction will test how seriously Congress takes the recent wave of CEO safety statements.