A majority of U.S. workers now support creating an artificial intelligence wealth fund, according to new survey findings, as layoffs across technology and finance intensify concerns that AI gains are flowing to companies while workers carry the risk of disruption.
Survey Shows Support for Public AI Ownership
The survey points to a shift in how Americans see the AI economy.
BigGo Finance reported that the Verasight poll was conducted in June and covered 1,690 U.S. adults, showing broad support for a public stake in major AI firms.
The basic idea is that the public should share in the financial upside of AI. TechBuzz explained the model as capturing a portion of AI-generated profits and redistributing them to communities affected by automation.
Sanders Bill Gives the Idea Political Shape
The survey arrives as Senator Bernie Sanders pushes legislation to turn the idea into law. Sanders introduced the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act, which aims to redistribute AI profits broadly rather than concentrate wealth in Silicon Valley. The fund proposal has gained attention as workers increasingly demand a stake in the AI economy instead of only facing job cuts.
Sanders framed the bill as a response to unequal gains from automation. Sanders shared that the fund would ensure AI’s economic benefits improve the lives of everyone and are not used only “to make the richest people in the world even richer”. That argument is likely to resonate with workers who see AI investments rising while headcounts shrink.
Layoffs Make the Debate More Urgent
The wealth fund debate is happening alongside visible job cuts. Companies from Microsoft to Google have been trimming headcount as AI automation makes certain roles obsolete.
The concern extends beyond Silicon Valley. Goldman Sachs senior global economist Joseph Briggs estimated roughly 15 million U.S. workers, or more than 9% of the labor force, could be displaced during a 10-year AI transition. 63,000 banking job cuts have been announced in 2026 by global financial institutions including HSBC, Citigroup and Standard Chartered.
Support Reflects Distrust of Voluntary Promises
The survey suggests many workers do not trust companies to share AI gains on their own. Verasight CEO, Benjamin Leff, said that AI sovereign funds are seen by the public as a tool to distribute gains from the AI industry back to broader society.
Still, implementation would be difficult. Such a fund would raise unresolved questions about shareholder dilution, voting rights and corporate control. Policymakers would need to decide what counts as an AI company, how to value AI’s contribution and how to prevent capital flight.
The survey does not mean an AI wealth fund is likely to pass soon. But it shows the politics of AI are shifting. The debate is no longer only about safety, innovation or regulation. It is now also about who owns the wealth created by machines that may replace human work.
