OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has floated the idea of donating 5% of the company’s equity to a U.S. sovereign wealth fund, as reported by The Financial Times. While other tech giants might follow suit, concrete plans are yet to materialise.
The proposal seeks to bolster relations with the administration and preempt potential backlash from policymakers who see AI as a key industry for national security and economic growth.
Similar concepts have cropped up in the past, with Senator Bernie Sanders suggesting a 50% tax on shares of major AI companies. His American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act, though not enacted, hints at the appetite for public involvement in this rapidly advancing technology sector.
The finer details remain unclear: while OpenAI has outlined how such funds could operate, any formal action would likely need congressional approval, which could prove challenging.
