Key facts
- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman met with Senator Bernie Sanders to discuss public ownership of AI companies.
- Altman expressed a desire for public equity in AI, but not at Sanders' proposed 50% threshold.
- Sanders previously proposed a plan for the public to own a 50% stake in AI companies.
- President Trump also expressed interest in the public benefiting from AI's success.
- Data center development is drawing opposition due to energy and water consumption concerns.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman met with Senator Bernie Sanders for an hour to discuss the concept of public ownership in AI companies. Sanders has proposed a plan for the public to hold a 50% equity stake in AI firms like OpenAI, creating a public wealth fund. Altman indicated he supports the general idea of public equity but not Sanders' specific 50% threshold. This meeting occurs amid growing public concern about the costs and benefits of the AI boom and increasing political attention on the technology.
President Donald Trump also voiced support for the public benefiting from AI's success, suggesting a partnership model and planning to meet with AI executives. He drew parallels between the economic views of his supporters and Sanders' base. Trump's administration has previously invested in companies like Intel.
Concerns about AI extend to its infrastructure, with data center development facing opposition in states like Michigan due to energy and water consumption. Governor Gretchen Whitmer appeared with Altman at a data center site, emphasizing job creation, but faced criticism from local activists and some Democrats like Representative Rashida Tlaib. Senator Elissa Slotkin noted the strong grassroots pushback. Republican Senator Josh Hawley called for stricter regulations on data center development, requiring them to cover their own utility costs.