Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Greg Casar introduced legislation Wednesday that would criminalize the development of AI that exceeds human cognitive capabilities or threatens the federal government. The Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act establishes a permanent prohibition on the deployment of AI that can disempower humanity, with penalties for violators including up to 20 years in prison. Corporations that attempt to circumvent these prohibitions would be subject to the corporate death penalty.

The bill creates a cabinet-level federal Department of Artificial Intelligence and imposes a pause on advanced AI development until this new regulatory body establishes model-review processes and clear rules. To prevent the creation of superintelligent AI globally, the legislation directs the U.S. to coordinate with international allies and implement export controls.