Sen. Mark Kelly's AI plan calls on tech firms to pay up

Driving the news: Kelly's boldest proposal calls for the establishment of a trust fund that could be used to, among other things, provide training to workers whose jobs are threatened by AI and invest further in infrastructure.

• "As a nation, we must seize this moment to build an AI boom for all, not another tech bubble for the few," Kelly says in the plan. "AI companies must be forces for strengthening, not straining, our workforce, energy infrastructure, and public resources."
• On the safety front, the plan also calls for "red team" tests of major models.

Zoom in: Kelly mentions several possible ways that tech companies could be required to contribute, including requiring additional compensation for companies' use of public resources (like power, water and land), or additional taxes on profits from digital ad tools powered by AI, or from "AI-based revenue windfalls."

• "This list is a starting point for conversation," Kelly says in the plan. "It is not comprehensive nor exclusive. We must work together to explore the right approach with a clear focus on the biggest frontier companies that stand to benefit the most."

Yes, but: As long as Republicans control both houses of Congress as well as the White House, Kelly's plans seem unlikely to gain traction.

What's next: Kelly is set to appear on stage later Wednesday at Axios' AI+ Summit in Washington, D.C. where he will discuss the plan.