OpenAI is considering giving the US government a 5% stake, a move that could improve relations with the Trump administration and head off public blowback against the sector.
How to redistribute AI windfalls is being debated on either side of the political aisle: Left-wing Senator Bernie Sanders recently called for a part-nationalization of the AI industry, with dividends going to the public, while the White House has also considered taking stakes in companies.
The tech firms have made similar, albeit less extreme, suggestions: Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has proposed universal basic income financed by taxes on AI firms, and OpenAI’s Sam Altman has previously floated public equity — though without giving up the board positions and 50% share Sanders has proposed.