Creating a government fund to own AI stock and benefit all Americans would require many hard choices.

Should the U.S. government require artificial intelligence companies to transfer half of their stock to a sovereign wealth fund – a government-run fund that invests surplus state revenues for long-term savings and economic stability?

About 7 in 10 Americans who were asked this question in a June 2026 survey answered that it should. The survey was conducted around the time that Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont introduced related legislation.

His measure is intended to create government oversight over disruptive AI threats, while allowing all Americans to benefit from the value the technology creates.

And, on July 13, about 200 economists and computer scientists, including 16 Nobel Prize winners, also raised their voices about the disruptions posed by AI, warning that “AI may become radically more powerful over the next 10 years.” What AI does to the economy, they continued, “could bring risks, including large-scale job displacement, as well as opportunities such as major gains in living standards.” The letter’s signatories called for AI use that “complements humans and benefits society.”

Signs that Americans are becoming increasingly wary of AI are multiplying. Concerns not only revolve around what AI might do to the job market, but also around the broader economy.

Sovereign wealth funds

I’ve spent nearly 20 years studying sovereign wealth funds. They are typically set up as government entities, staffed by professional investors and tasked with concrete investment goals. Specific laws define how they receive the cash they........

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