Bloomington Proposes Ban on Superintelligent AI
A proposed city ordinance would prohibit the distribution and deployment of artificial superintelligence within Bloomington's limits.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
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Bloomington's proposed ordinance would bar the distribution or deployment of artificial superintelligence in the city, and the Common Council could lift the ban only after making specified safety findings and receiving approval from more than 95% of registered city voters. A staff memo recommended approval of the measure.
Why it matters
Neither Indiana nor the federal government has enacted safety rules for artificial superintelligence, so the city describes the ordinance as a temporary local measure. The memo says it would set a model for other cities.
The proposal defines the target systems as autonomous models that can modify their own core algorithms, run code outside their initial sandbox, or perform complex tasks without continuous human oversight where those tasks could affect municipal networks, banking, financial markets or public safety. Whether any current system would meet these criteria has not been established.
The players
Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders is a U.S. senator from Vermont and an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, known for his progressive advocacy on economic and labor issues.
Greg Casar
Greg Casar is a U.S. representative from Texas and a leading progressive member of the House Democratic caucus.
The details
The ordinance would ban autonomous systems that modify their own core algorithms, run code outside their initial sandbox, or perform complex tasks without continuous human oversight if those tasks could affect municipal networks, banking, financial markets or public safety. The Common Council will consider a second reading of the proposal on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
Timeline
September: U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Greg Casar introduced a federal proposal to ban development and deployment of artificial superintelligence, and a British member of Parliament introduced a similar prohibition.
Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.: Bloomington Common Council considers second reading of the ordinance.
Artificial Intelligence Regulation Push
Bloomington's ordinance mirrors the federal proposal introduced by Bernie Sanders and Greg Casar in September, which would create a Cabinet position to police the industry. Local action arrives while neither Indiana nor Washington has enacted safety rules for artificial superintelligence.
If adopted, the ordinance would restrict the distribution and deployment of artificial superintelligence within Bloomington, which could affect city networks, banking and public-safety systems that rely on autonomous tools. Residents would see no change to ordinary consumer AI products that fall outside the defined autonomous-system criteria.
The takeaway
Local ordinances may become an early testing ground for rules on advanced AI while state and federal lawmakers have not acted. Residents following the issue can track the Common Council's second reading to see whether the city moves ahead.
What happens next
The Bloomington Common Council will consider a second reading of the ordinance on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
Further reading
For broader context on rules being debated for advanced systems, see Artificial Intelligence coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WISH-TV | Indianapolis News | Indiana Weather | Indiana Traffic.
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