WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is considering proposals to grant the American public a direct financial stake in leading artificial intelligence (AI) companies, amid growing concerns that the economic benefits from the sector may bypass ordinary citizens. The initiative aims to ensure that individual Americans share in the profits generated by rapidly expanding AI technologies.

This month, Trump’s administration has explored various mechanisms to enable AI firms to “give back” to the public. Suggested approaches include placing government representatives on corporate boards, imposing targeted taxes on AI companies, and exchanging federal funding for equity stakes in these firms. Such arrangements could significantly alter federal revenue streams.

AI companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic have recently filed confidential paperwork for initial public offerings in the United States, with OpenAI seeking a valuation approaching $1 trillion. Representatives from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google declined to comment on potential government equity involvement.

Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont who aligns with Democratic policymakers, has introduced a proposal involving taxation of AI-generated wealth. He advocates for assigning the government a 50 percent ownership interest in large AI firms, coupled with board representation. Sanders argues this would allow the public not only to shield itself from negative impacts but also to benefit financially from AI advancements.

Two law professors have suggested a variation involving a stock-based tax system, whereby companies would transfer equity to the government without requiring direct public investment. Jeremy Bearer-Friend, a professor at George Washington University Law School, clarified that such a model would not grant the government a controlling share of these companies.

Another option under consideration takes inspiration from a prior government agreement with chipmaker Intel, where the federal government acquired a 10 percent stake in exchange for heavy investment to boost domestic manufacturing capacity. Given the substantial capital demands of AI infrastructure, proponents argue that government funding tied to equity stakes could play a constructive role in supporting the sector’s growth.

Alphabet, Google's parent company and owner of DeepMind, announced plans this month to raise its equity offerings to $84.75 billion. However, some free-market advocates caution against government involvement mimicking the Intel precedent, suggesting it risks shifting public focus from safeguarding national interests to prioritizing government investment returns. Neil Chilson, a Republican involved in AI policy at the Abundance Institute, expressed concern that such a shift could compromise public interest objectives.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman noted last November that while the company has discussed federal loan guarantees to support chip manufacturing facilities, it has not pursued comparable arrangements for data centers.

In April, OpenAI proposed creating a “public wealth fund” designed to invest in AI companies and distribute profits directly to U.S. citizens. Similarly, Anthropic is exploring the concept of a “digital dividend,” which would provide payments to Americans funded by taxes levied on the AI industry.

This concept mirrors the Alaska Permanent Fund, a state-owned entity established from oil revenues to manage natural resource wealth, which issues annual dividends to residents and supplements the state budget. Advocates argue AI, which relies extensively on publicly generated data, could warrant a comparable approach.

Joseph Blasi, a corporate governance professor at Rutgers University, emphasized that public infrastructure and data in the United States belong collectively to citizens, rather than to any single wealthy individual or corporation.

As AI companies continue to expand their market presence and the federal government weighs its options, debates persist over the best means to balance innovation, public benefit, and economic incentives in the evolving AI landscape.