Summary
- OpenAI is discussing giving the U.S. government a 5% stake in the company as it considers how to build a favorable political environment ahead of an initial public offering (IPO).
- CEO Sam Altman has envisioned a public investment vehicle modeled on the Alaska Permanent Fund and proposed that major U.S. AI companies each contribute a 5% stake.
- The White House may release guidelines as early as next week setting security standards and defining who can access advanced AI models.
Forecast Trend Report by Period
OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, is discussing a plan to give the U.S. government a 5% stake in the company, the Financial Times reported on July 2.
OpenAI floated the idea in early talks with the Trump administration, according to the report. The company is weighing the proposal ahead of an initial public offering as it seeks to build a favorable political environment.
Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman argued that giving the public a financial stake in the company would be the best way to share the economic benefits of the artificial intelligence industry. He has reportedly envisioned a public investment vehicle modeled on the Alaska Permanent Fund.
The proposal was designed for not only OpenAI but also other major U.S. AI companies to contribute 5% of their equity to the public investment vehicle. It is unclear whether other companies, including Google, Meta and Anthropic, would agree.
Altman has recently held talks with President Donald Trump, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the FT reported. It also said Altman had been in contact with U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders. In June, Sanders proposed legislation to impose a one-time 50% tax on shares of major AI companies to create a $70 trillion sovereign wealth fund.
Separately, the White House may release guidelines for cutting-edge AI models as early as next week. The guidance is set to address security standards, review timelines and who should be allowed access to top-tier AI models inside and outside the U.S.
