US Lawmakers Propose Ban on Artificial Superintelligence
A new legislative proposal seeks to permanently ban artificial superintelligence in the US, establish a federal AI department, and introduce strict penalties.
Lawmakers in the United States have introduced a legislative proposal aiming to halt the advancement of artificial superintelligence. Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Greg Casar put forward the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act of 2026 in September. The bill remains in committee and is not currently law, but it outlines a strict framework for regulating future technology.
Senator Sanders compared the rapid progression of artificial intelligence to rushing toward a cliff, arguing that government intervention is necessary before systems become uncontrollable. Proponents of the measure express concern that creators of advanced models might eventually build technologies with capabilities they cannot fully comprehend or manage.
Key Proposals of the Legislation
The bill seeks a permanent prohibition on the creation, deployment, acquisition, and distribution of artificial superintelligence—defined broadly as theoretical systems capable of outperforming humans across intellectual tasks or posing severe risks to humanity. In addition to banning superintelligence, the legislation would temporarily halt the development of specific advanced models.
A central feature of the proposal is the creation of a cabinet-level Department of Artificial Intelligence. This new agency would oversee advanced development, set safety criteria, inspect powerful models prior to release, and hold the authority to disconnect or modify dangerous systems. Violations of the proposed rules carry severe consequences, including fines, asset forfeiture, and prison sentences of up to 20 years for certain decision-makers.
The initiative also calls for international agreements to prevent superintelligence from being developed outside domestic borders. However, experts note that this international component could face hurdles, given the emphasis placed by the Trump administration on maintaining American competitiveness in the global technology race.
What it means for developers
For developers and everyday users relying on current assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini, the bill introduces no immediate changes or restrictions since it is merely a proposal in committee. Existing consumer chatbots would not be automatically outlawed if the bill passed.
However, the legislation could heavily impact the trajectory of upcoming frontier models. Companies like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic are actively pushing toward advanced reasoning and autonomy. If enacted, future systems meeting specific technical thresholds would face rigorous federal reviews, safety checks, and mandatory government authorization prior to deployment. For developers building applications on top of these foundation systems, such oversight could translate to slower rollouts of next-generation capabilities. To experiment with current generation technologies without friction, developers can try top AI models cheaply through one API at https://apixoai.online.
The broader debate centers on whether federal intervention should restrict high-end technology before potential risks materialize. For now, the proposal serves as an indicator of how some policymakers intend to shape the boundaries of future innovation.
Source: A new bill could ban powerful AI in the US — here's what it means for ChatGPT — Tom's Guide AI. Written by the Apixo team from that report.
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