OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has floated an idea that could reshape how the gains from artificial intelligence are shared: donating 5% of the company's equity to a U.S. sovereign wealth fund. According to reporting cited by the Financial Times, the concept is still early-stage, but it reflects a growing conversation around how AI value might reach a wider public.
The proposal is described as part of a broader effort to maintain constructive ties with policymakers while addressing concerns around the rapid expansion of AI companies. The plan would also encourage other AI firms to consider similar contributions, though the exact structure remains undefined.
OpenAI has already outlined a related vision in its policy paper, Industrial Policy for the Intelligence Age, which suggested a public wealth fund that could invest in AI labs and companies building the technology. The paper argues that returns from such a fund could be distributed directly to citizens, broadening participation in AI-driven growth.
The idea has also entered the wider policy debate in the United States, where lawmakers have discussed public mechanisms for capturing some of the economic upside of advanced AI. For now, the OpenAI proposal remains conceptual, and any formal move would likely require legislative approval.
If these discussions continue to evolve, they could help define a future where innovation and public benefit advance together more closely.