OpenAI is reportedly in the early stages of talks to give a 5% stake in developer ChatGPT to the US government as AI companies try to smooth over relations with Donald Trump’s administration.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has argued that giving the American public a financial stake in the company is the best way to share in the benefits of AI, according to the Financial Times, which cited two anonymous people familiar with the discussions.
The proposal would also involve other American AI companies giving a similar stake to the government, the Financial Times reported, although it is not yet clear whether companies such as Anthropic, Google and Meta would agree to the plan.
Such a deal would help improve the industry’s relations with the Trump administration and could help garner political support by sharing the wealth generated by the AI boom with the public.
The proposal comes amid growing pressure from Washington on American artificial intelligence companies. Last month, Anthropic suspended its newest model after the government ordered it to restrict access by foreign citizens, citing national security concerns. This week it said it had restored customer access to the model after resolving the government’s security concerns.
Altman and other OpenAI bosses have suggested that each of the largest AI developers in the US should donate 5% of their capital to an investment vehicle like the Alaska Permanent Fund, a sovereign wealth fund that invests US oil wealth in stocks and pays dividends to the state, the Financial Times reported.
The talks are “conceptual” and in the early stages, he said, and any agreement could require an act of Congress to implement.
Both OpenAI and Anthropic have previously suggested in policy documents that a public or sovereign fund may be necessary in the future to distribute shares to the public.
In April, OpenAI said a “public wealth fund” could provide “all citizens – including those who do not invest in financial markets – a share in AI-powered economic growth.”
OpenAI and Anthropic are preparing to list on the US stock market, in moves that some investors believe could value both companies at more than $1 trillion (£751 billion).
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Altman has been in talks about public ownership with Trump, as well as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, according to the Financial Times, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.
He has also reportedly spoken with Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders in recent weeks. The senator has been pushing for the creation of a sovereign wealth fund overseen by an independent commission and financed by a flat 50% tax on the shares of the largest AI companies.
OpenAI has been contacted for comment.