A new bill submitted by Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Greg Casar on September 23 targets AI that exceeds human cognitive performance or could disempower humanity. The Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act establishes criminal penalties of up to 20 years in prison for individuals and a corporate death penalty for entities that violate the prohibitions or bypass mandatory pauses on advanced AI development.

The legislation requires the creation of a cabinet-level Department of Artificial Intelligence to oversee regulatory rules and model-review processes. It further directs the US to pursue international agreements and export controls to prevent the development of artificial superintelligence globally.