S. 5518, AI-Funded Worker Transition Program. Quorum's AI analysis reads it as a net benefit — and names who gains.
S. 5518 · Net good
What it does
This bill creates a $30 billion Artificial Intelligence Horizon Fund, administered by the Department of Labor, to fund workforce development, entrepreneurship, and service programs aimed at helping workers adapt to AI-driven economic change. It finances the fund through three new taxes on AI companies: a 5% tax on digital advertising revenue for large tech firms, a $1.10 per-million-unit tax on AI computational processing, and a 50% tax on excess profits from AI development.
The analysis names workers displaced or threatened by AI automation (unemployment insurance, training subsidies, servic — and 5 more groups — among the beneficiaries.
The trade-off
The AI Advisory Council wields significant discretionary power over $30B+ annually; its composition (5 federal officials + 10 non-federal experts) creates potential for political capture if appointments favor industry-aligned experts over labor/civil-rights advocates.
The analysis put a high warning level on this bill. Transparency scores 72%, and the analysis found no provisions unrelated to the bill's subject.
Who is behind it
Filed by Mark Kelly.
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