- Americans want the vast wealth of AI companies added to a sovereign wealth fund
- 69% would see AI companies forced to transfer 50% of shares to a government fund
- The fund would help redistribute wealth and support new infrastructure and development for working-class Americans
A national survey has shown that over two-thirds (69%) of American citizens want to see AI companies transfer half of their shares to a sovereign wealth fund.
The survey, conducted by Verasight of 1,690 adults, also found that there was overwhelming support (89%) for AI companies to publicly disclose the results of all internal security tests.
The sovereign wealth fund, proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, would provide wealth for current and future generations, as well as serve as a source of capital for investment in new projects and developments designed to improve the lives of working-class Americans.
Americans want redistribution of AI wealth
In announcing Sanders’ proposed US AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act, the senator said: “It would guarantee that the economic benefits generated by AI are used to improve the lives of all of us — not just to make the richest people in the world even richer.”
“The future of artificial intelligence and the fate of humanity must not be decided behind closed doors in Silicon Valley by billionaires seeking to maximize their power and profits,” Sanders said.
Interestingly, the survey only saw a slight drop in support to 64% when the sovereign wealth fund was tied directly to Sanders, showing the bipartisan desire for the huge growth in AI wealth to be redistributed among Americans.
According to a Goldman Sachs report, companies operating in the AI industry have added more than $27 trillion in market value since the end of 2022, with corporate profits and technology investments soaring. But at the other end of the scale, working-class Americans are seeing jobs replaced and entry-level positions disappear due to AI technologies.
A further report by Goldman Sachs predicts that during the 10-year AI transition period, up to 15 million US workers could lose their jobs – about 9% of the current US workforce.
In 2026 alone, the technology sector has seen more than 166,000 layoffs, many of which are attributed to the introduction of new AI technologies. The Trueup layoff tracker expects that number to rise to 312,000 by the end of the year.
Electricity prices are also rising in the US due to demand from AI data centers, increasing the cost of daily living for millions of Americans. As a result, US representatives have put forward a bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act that would force AI companies and hyperscalers to pay for the energy they use, with additional fees to help finance the expansion of electricity infrastructure that has been put under additional strain on data centers.
Via CNBC
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