Key facts
- President Trump is exploring U.S. government ownership stakes in AI companies.
- The concept aims for the American public to share in AI's financial gains.
- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman previously discussed similar ideas with the Trump administration.
- Senator Bernie Sanders proposed legislation for 50% government ownership in AI firms.
- Trump indicated a potential 'partnership' to improve AI's public image.
President Trump has expressed interest in the U.S. government taking a small ownership stake in major artificial intelligence companies, suggesting it could create a 'partnership' with the American public and allow them to share in the immense wealth generated by the sector. This idea, which Trump described as potentially 'beautiful,' has been previously advocated by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who has discussed it with the Trump administration and lawmakers. The conversation was recently amplified by Senator Bernie Sanders, who proposed legislation mandating a 50% government ownership in top AI firms through a stock-based tax. While industry advocates might prefer a smaller stake, around 1-5%, for a public wealth fund, the concept aims to improve AI's public image by ensuring broad participation in its economic success. Trump's embrace of a proposal similar to one from a democratic socialist like Sanders highlights his populist economic stance, suggesting common ground on certain economic principles. The discussions come ahead of anticipated stock offerings from major AI players like Anthropic, SpaceX, and OpenAI, and underscore the administration's focus on maintaining U.S. leadership in AI development. Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday asking AI companies to voluntarily submit their frontier models for government review 30 days before a full public release.