US Bill Proposes Up to 20-Year Prison Sentences for Frontier AI Violations

US lawmakers have introduced the "Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act," which proposes a halt to frontier AI development and an outright ban on artificial superintelligence (ASI). The bill proposes establishing a new cabinet-level federal agency to enforce the policy, backed by penalties of up to 20 years in prison for individual developers and corporate dissolution for non-compliant entities. This bill represents one of the most severe regulatory proposals targeting advanced AI development to date, explicitly equating superintelligence risks with the illegal proliferation of nuclear weapons. If enacted, it could dramatically shift the trajectory of global AI research and compel international compliance through cross-border treaties. The proposed enforcement includes a "corporate death penalty" (revocation of corporate legal status) for organizations and up to 20 years imprisonment for individuals trying to bypass the halt or ban. Additionally, the legislation seeks to establish international agreements and align US allies to enforce a worldwide ban on superintelligence.