U.S. government weighs taking equity stakes in AI firms as it seeks to share in the gains from AI

The executive branch of the United States federal government is reportedly discussing the possibility of securing a stake in artificial intelligence startup OpenAI. On the 5th, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the federal government to create a sovereign wealth fund. In tandem with that move, officials are also said to be discussing ways for the government to acquire equity in the AI sector.
CNBC reported on the 5th, citing sources, that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is in related discussions with the White House. According to the sources, the talks have been ongoing for more than a year since last year.
Altman also met with a range of lawmakers and officials in Washington, D.C., this week to discuss AI regulation and the latest developments. Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, told CNBC that he met with Altman on the 3rd and discussed the concept of a sovereign wealth fund.
Under a tentative agreement, OpenAI proposed a "Public Asset Fund" in April. The idea is that if the company donates part of its equity to the government, that stake could be used to launch a PWF. OpenAI said the PWF could be invested in "distributed, long-term assets" and stressed that the fund’s returns could be shared directly with citizens, allowing them to benefit from AI’s growth.
However, CNBC said no formal investment terms have been decided yet, and the details could still change.
OpenAI, which ushered in the era of AI in earnest with the release of ChatGPT-3.5 in November 2022, is now valued at more than $850 billion. The company is expected to go public this year.
The Trump administration began by seeking an equity stake in U.S. Steel and then exchanged government support for a stake in Intel. More recently, it has also moved to secure stakes in quantum computing companies, including IBM, and now appears to be expanding that effort into AI.