Trillions of AI tokens flow through private infrastructure every day. They power healthcare, education, finance, and governance. We believe it's time for a public conversation about what that means for all of us.
Every time you ask an AI a question, a token is born. It lives for milliseconds. It costs fractions of a cent. And it generates enormous value for the companies that control the pipes.
Tokens are the new kilowatt-hours. They power search results, medical diagnoses, legal research, financial models, creative work, and education. They're woven into the fabric of daily life. They are infrastructure.
This isn't about punishing innovation. It's about recognizing that when a technology becomes essential to how society functions, the public has a stake in how it's governed, priced, and distributed.
Today, a handful of companies control the world's intelligence supply. They set the prices. They choose who gets access. They decide what gets built. The rest of us just pay the meter and hope for the best.
We think there's a better way.
A token tax -- even a micro-levy -- could fund universal AI literacy programs, subsidize access for schools and hospitals, invest in open-source AI research, and create a public trust that ensures intelligence doesn't become a luxury good.
We know this idea is controversial. Good. The best ideas start as arguments.
We're not here to hand you a finished policy. We're here to force a question that nobody in power wants to answer: if AI intelligence is becoming as fundamental as electricity, who should benefit from it, and who should have a say?
This is an invitation. To researchers, policymakers, technologists, educators, students, founders, union leaders, and anyone who uses AI -- which is increasingly everyone. Read the principles. Poke holes in them. Bring better ideas. Build coalitions we haven't imagined yet.
But don't sit this one out. The decisions being made right now about AI governance will shape the next century. You deserve a seat at that table.
Seven principles that guide our coalition. We hold these strongly and invite you to challenge every one of them.
AI tokens power critical systems across healthcare, education, finance, and government. When something is this embedded in society, it's not a product. It's a utility.
AI was built on publicly funded research, public data, and public infrastructure. The public deserves a return on that investment through transparent governance and shared benefit.
Intelligence should not become a luxury good. A token tax could fund universal access programs, ensuring AI serves everyone, not just those who can afford the premium tier.
Taxation isn't punishment. It's how societies invest in the commons. The internet thrived because of public investment. AI can too.
AI doesn't stop at borders. Neither should its governance. A token tax framework needs international coordination from day one, not as an afterthought.
Token tax revenue should fund AI literacy, open-source research, and subsidized access for schools, hospitals, and public institutions. Not general budgets. Directed investment.
We don't claim to have all the answers. We claim to have the right question. This movement exists to force the conversation and build it in public.
Whether you're a policymaker, a researcher, a student, or someone who just uses AI every day. Your voice matters in this conversation.
We will never sell your data. That would be ironic.
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Join researchers, policymakers, technologists, and citizens demanding a public conversation about AI governance.
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