US Considers Public Stakes in AI Giants to Share AI Profits

Senior U.S. officials have discussed the possibility of the federal government taking voluntary equity stakes in AI leaders such as OpenAI, with returns potentially distributed as public dividends. The talks are preliminary and legally murky, and there is no guarantee of an agreement; OpenAI has floated a Public Wealth Fund concept, while Anthropic says it is not in talks about equity. The idea faces governance challenges and partisan debate over government ownership vs. regulation as AI gains attract scrutiny.