Ten House Democrats Including AOC Back Sanders Bill to Ban AI Superintelligence

Ten House Democrats led by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are officially backing Senator Bernie Sanders' legislation to permanently ban the development of artificial superintelligence, with violators facing up to 20 years in prison—penalties equivalent to those for unlawful nuclear weapons development. The Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act, introduced in September 2026 by Sanders and Representative Greg Casar, defines artificial superintelligence as any AI system that "exceeds human cognitive performance and capabilities across most domains or tasks." Ocasio-Cortez and nine colleagues—including Representatives Analilia Mejia, Yassamin Ansari, Adelita Grijalva, Val Hoyle, Stephen Lynch, Chuy Garcia, Chris Deluzio, and Nydia Velazquez—have become co-sponsors of the legislation, establishing what observers describe as a prohibitionist left flank within the Democratic caucus on artificial intelligence policy.