MIT Technology Review is reporting that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is discussing with President Donald J Trump a proposal for the U.S. government to receive a 5% equity stake in OpenAI. The Financial Times first reported these talks last week.
The publication said Altman has long advocated for Americans to share in the wealth generated by artificial intelligence, outlining a more radical version of this idea in 2021 and a narrower proposal in April this year. Senator Bernie Sanders has also proposed a 50% stake for Americans in top AI companies.
The logic behind these proposals is twofold: to compensate for human-generated work used by AI companies and to provide a safety net against potential labor market disruption. MIT Technology Review noted that a 5% stake in OpenAI, valued at $852 billion after its March funding round, would be worth about $42.6 billion. If distributed equally among 133 million American households, this would amount to approximately $320 in equity per household. Alternatively, the government could manage a fund, sharing returns over time.
For tech companies like OpenAI, such a deal could help improve public opinion toward AI and secure favorable relations with the Trump administration, which has a history of making similar tech deals. MIT Technology Review concluded that these plans currently function more as a narrative than a concrete policy, despite Altman discussing variations of the idea for years. It said the proposals highlight the ongoing debate about the future of AI, drawing a parallel to Alaska's Permanent Fund, which shares oil profits with residents.
Full Article: Your family’s $300 stake in OpenAI