OpenAI explores a new initiative to engage the public in AI development.
OpenAI is reportedly in discussions to offer the U.S. government a 5% equity stake in the company as part of an initiative aimed at distributing wealth generated from artificial intelligence to the public, according to the Financial Times. This proposal is still in its early stages and would require approval from Congress.
CEO Sam Altman has mentioned this idea during talks with U.S. officials as a way to strengthen ties with the current administration and to enhance public participation in the benefits of AI. The plan could see leading AI companies contributing similar equity stakes to a public investment fund, modeled after Alaska's Permanent Fund, which shares investment returns with residents.
The initiative aims to alleviate growing political scrutiny of the AI sector by providing citizens with a direct financial stake in its future. High-ranking officials from the Trump administration, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, have been involved in these discussions. However, it remains uncertain if other major AI firms like Anthropic, Google, and Meta would support this approach.
