Palantir (NASDAQ:PLTR) CEO Alex Karp warned on Thursday that major AI companies risk being nationalized, saying the momentum has shifted toward those pushing for government control, as Sen. Bernie Sanders said he would soon introduce legislation giving the public a 50% ownership stake in the country’s largest AI firms.



Speaking with TBPN at Palantir’s AIPCon 10, Karp said he has spent six months privately warning top AI executives of the threat. The response, he said, has largely been dismissal: “Why would anyone nationalize us? We’re so likable. We’re creating so much value.”



“The momentum is on the side of people who want to nationalize them,” Karp said. “We don’t get our act together.”



The warning is not new. In March, Karp told Silicon Valley directly that displacing white-collar workers while alienating the military would lead to the nationalization of their technology.



<h2>Sanders’ Bill Adds Urgency</h2>



On Monday, Sanders published a guest essay in The New York Times outlining his American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act, which would impose a one-time 50 percent tax on stock, not profits, of major AI companies including OpenAI, Anthropic and xAI, paid directly into a federal fund. Sanders argued AI is &#34;built on the collective knowledge of humanity&#34; and its wealth must be shared publicly. The proposal drew attention beyond the usual political lines. Noted short-seller Jim Chanos asked on X on Tuesday, “What do you call it when both Donald Trump AND Bernie Sanders advocate government ownership of corporate equity?”



Later, Sanders also criticized President Donald Trump‘s AI executive order, calling it voluntary and saying it “does almost nothing to protect Americans” despite acknowledging AI risks, urging Congress to pass stronger legislation instead.



<h2>Regulation Before Nationalization</h2>



Karp warned that AI firms risk being regulated by policymakers who may not fully understand the technology, a dynamic he said could escalate into more aggressive government intervention, including nationalization concerns he has raised privately with industry leaders. He urged AI executives to move beyond reliance on lobbyists and instead openly address AI's societal risks and strategic value, particularly as the U.S. competes with foreign adversaries developing their own AI systems.



The stakes are tangible. According to the Center for a New American Security, Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) supplies GPUs for 52% of all tracked sovereign AI infrastructure projects worldwide, reflecting how deeply governments are already moving to control AI infrastructure.



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Photo Courtesy: IMAGN



Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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Palantir CEO Alex Karp warned AI leaders about nationalization risks, citing Senator Bernie Sanders' proposed legislation to impose a 50% ownership tax on major AI firms. Karp stated momentum is shifting toward government control and urged the industry to address societal risks rather than relying on lobbyists.

- Palantir CEO Alex Karp expressed concerns that major AI companies could face nationalization, highlighting a shift towards government control, particularly in light of proposed legislation by Sen. Bernie Sanders.  
- Karp believes that AI executives are underestimating the seriousness of the situation, as evidenced by their dismissive responses to his warnings about the potential consequences of not addressing societal risks.  
- Sanders' proposal for a tax aimed at AI firms reflects broader political support for government equity in technology, which Karp argues could lead to aggressive regulation and intervention if left unaddressed.

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Palantir CEO Alex Karp Says He's Been Warning AI Leaders For Months About Nationalization Risks: 'The Momentum Is On The Side Of People Who...'