Key facts
- U.S. President Donald Trump is exploring options for the public to gain a stake in leading AI companies.
- Proposed mechanisms include government equity stakes, targeted taxes on the AI industry, and public wealth funds.
- Senator Bernie Sanders suggested a 50% government ownership stake and board representation through taxation.
- A model similar to the Intel deal, where the government took a stake for funding, is being considered.
- OpenAI and Anthropic are exploring concepts like public wealth funds and 'digital dividends' for citizens.
U.S. President Donald Trump is examining potential avenues to provide the public with a stake in major artificial intelligence companies, addressing concerns that individual Americans might not share in the sector's anticipated profits. Several proposals have emerged from policymakers, companies, and advocates for how AI firms could "give back" to the public.
One proposed pathway involves installing U.S. government representatives on company boards. Senator Bernie Sanders has suggested a system where large AI firms grant the government a 50% ownership stake and board representation through the tax system. Another idea is to impose taxes payable in stock rather than cash, effectively transferring equity to the government without requiring direct public investment, though this approach may not grant a controlling stake.
Another model under consideration mirrors the government's deal with Intel, where a 10% stake was acquired in exchange for billions in funding to boost domestic manufacturing. This approach could see government investment in AI infrastructure in return for equity. However, free-market analysts caution that such arrangements could distort incentives and shift the government's focus from public interest to investment returns.
Furthermore, OpenAI has proposed creating a "public wealth fund" to invest in AI companies and distribute profits to citizens. Anthropic is exploring a "digital dividend," which would involve payments to Americans funded by taxes on the AI sector. This concept draws parallels to the Alaska Permanent Fund, which uses oil revenues to provide annual dividends to residents.