Sanders and Trump back idea of public stakes in big AI labs

In short: US Senator Bernie Sanders and President Donald Trump have both raised the idea of the US government owning shares in major AI labs, so the public benefits if the companies profit.

What happened

Bernie Sanders is drafting a bill that would require big AI research labs, such as OpenAI and Anthropic, to pay a one time 50 percent tax in company stock. Stock is a form of ownership, like having a slice of a business. Under Sanders’s plan, the government would become a major shareholder and would get voting rights to influence company decisions.

Trump has also spoken about taking government stakes in AI labs. He told reporters he was discussing a deal with major AI companies that could become “a partnership with the American public.” The Financial Times notes the federal government has already spent more than $10 billion taking stakes in some semiconductor and minerals companies that it sees as important for national security.

The broader idea resembles a “sovereign wealth fund,” which is a government owned investment fund (like a national savings account that buys investments). Countries such as Norway and Saudi Arabia run large versions of these funds, often built from oil revenue. In the US, Alaska has long used a fund to pay residents dividends from oil income.

Some AI companies have even floated similar ideas in discussion papers. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reportedly met Sanders to discuss the plan.

Why it matters

AI systems are increasingly used in everyday services and work tools, and their creators could earn huge sums. The key public question is who should share in those gains, and how. Owning shares could send money back to taxpayers, but critics worry government ownership could blur the line between regulator and business owner, and could affect competition.

Source: Financial Times