69% of Americans Back Public AI Wealth Fund

Americans are speaking up about who should benefit from the artificial intelligence boom, and their answer is clear: everyone.

A new survey of 1,690 adults reveals that 69% of Americans support creating a public sovereign wealth fund that would hold half the stock of major AI companies. The poll, conducted by research firm Verasight in June, shows growing public desire to share in the economic gains that AI technology is generating.

The timing makes sense. Tech layoffs are climbing even as AI companies report soaring profits and spend billions on expansion. Workers are watching their jobs disappear while corporate revenues hit new highs, creating tension about who wins in the AI revolution.

Senator Bernie Sanders responded by proposing the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act in June. The bill would give Americans a 50% stake in the largest U.S. AI companies, ensuring the technology's economic benefits reach beyond Silicon Valley boardrooms.

"It would guarantee that the economic benefits generated by AI are used to improve the lives of all of us, not simply to make the richest people in the world even richer," Sanders said in his statement.

The concern about job loss is real but may be temporary. Goldman Sachs estimates that about 15 million workers could lose their jobs during a 10-year AI transition period. However, senior economist Joseph Briggs expects AI to create many new positions over the long term, similar to other major technological shifts in recent decades.

The Ripple Effect

The public wealth fund concept isn't just about money. It's about giving everyday Americans a voice in how transformative technology shapes our future. Research firm Windfall Trust notes these funds could direct AI development at the national level, fund critical infrastructure, and ensure AI-driven economic gains flow back to citizens.

Benjamin Leff, CEO of Verasight, captured the public sentiment perfectly: "In the eyes of the public, AI sovereign funds are seen as a tool to distribute the gains from the AI industry back to broader society."

Other countries already use sovereign wealth funds to share resource wealth with citizens. Now Americans are asking why the AI revolution should be any different.

The path forward requires balancing public benefit with innovation, but the survey shows Americans are ready for that conversation.