Trump suggests US government could take stakes in AI firms

• Donald Trump indicated the US government might acquire stakes in OpenAI and Anthropic.
• The potential investment mirrors a government stake in Intel, which secured about 9.9% of common stock for $8.9 billion.
• Trump stated such transactions would be "for the country."
• The administration previously explored public holdings in AI businesses in June.
• OpenAI had reportedly discussed offering the US government a 5% share.
• Anthropic has not discussed government ownership with the Trump administration.

US President Donald Trump suggested that the US government could acquire stakes in artificial intelligence companies OpenAI and Anthropic, drawing a parallel to a previous government investment in Intel. In a TIME interview, Trump stated that such investments were "for the country" and could foster a "partnership with the American public."

The concept of government investment in AI firms was previously raised by the administration in June, with officials indicating they would "look into" public holdings. Reports from July suggested that OpenAI had already discussed offering the US government a 5% share as part of a plan for Americans to benefit from AI's growth. OpenAI is reportedly seeking a valuation of $1.4 trillion in a new funding round.

In contrast, Anthropic has not discussed government ownership with the Trump administration, according to a source familiar with the situation. The company has recently submitted IPO paperwork, though its listing timeline is dependent on market conditions.

These discussions occur as Washington increases its engagement with leading AI companies on security and oversight. Trump met with executives from major tech firms, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta, and Nvidia, in late September. During this meeting, an executive order was issued directing federal agencies to use "Super Intelligence" and "SI" instead of "Artificial Intelligence" and "AI."

Trump's stance contrasts with calls from some AI executives, including those from OpenAI and Anthropic, to slow down the development of frontier AI models for safety reasons. Trump rejected this approach, citing competition with China as a reason to maintain rapid development.