Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed says Bernie Sanders’ public-ownership approach to major artificial intelligence companies does not go far enough.
Asked during a June 12 appearance on the left-wing “Head in the Office” podcast whether he supported a Sanders-style public ownership model for major AI firms, El-Sayed said he wanted to “actually take it a step further.”
“I agree that we need public ownership, but I also agree that we need some system of public control,” El-Sayed said.
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El-Sayed described a broader system of public involvement that could include representation on corporate boards or a separate public body overseeing the industry.
“What is the point of democracy if it’s not to protect us from existential risk?” he said. “And, right now, there is no regulation.”
“I just think it’s really important for us to be thinking what is democratic control over this industry? What does it look like?”
El-Sayed later suggested that public control could mean giving the public representation on company boards or establishing an oversight body with authority over AI companies.
His argument is that artificial intelligence poses potentially “existential” risks while the companies developing it hold too much political influence in Washington.
“Democracy is supposed to fix these problems, and, right now, they’re trying to slip democracy, and we cannot allow that,” El-Sayed said.
“And, so, we need leaders who both understand the technological risk and are not bought off by the AI industry itself. It is mission critical right now for our future.”
The comments give El-Sayed a position that goes beyond simply calling for tighter regulation of Silicon Valley.
He explicitly endorsed “public ownership” when presented with Sanders’ approach, then argued that some form of “public control” should accompany it.
Watch the clip below:
Abdul El-Sayed calls for MORE ‘Public Control’ of Private Companies
He was he wants to go “further” than Bernie Sanders on seizing the means of production.
This isn’t Socialism it’s full blown Communism. pic.twitter.com/5uswJmRsZL
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) August 19, 2026
