OpenAI stake idea resurfaces as Treasury warns on AI market

Sam Altman’s proposal to let Americans share in wealth created by AI has returned to the spotlight amid reports that OpenAI is discussing giving the US government a 5% stake in the company. The concept is framed as a response to concerns that AI firms benefit from human-generated work without compensating creators, while also offering a potential safety net if AI disrupts the labor market. Key details remain unresolved, leaving the idea more developed as a political narrative than as a policy blueprint.

A leaked Treasury report reportedly compares the AI market to the dotcom bubble, creating tension with the administration’s public optimism about the technology. Broader concern is also growing that AI valuations and earnings may be masking deeper market risks.

Other developments point to AI’s expanding reach across industry and government. Samsung reported its third consecutive record quarterly profit after profits jumped 1,800% on AI chip demand, while US companies are looking at Chinese models to reduce AI costs. CISA is reportedly using Anthropic’s Mythos to audit government code, Illinois has enacted a strong frontier AI law, and a hidden tracker in Claude Code that monitored users in China has been removed.