Sam Altman meets Bernie Sanders on public ownership of AI; Trump administration also explores giving Americans a stake in AI companies

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman held a nearly hourlong private meeting in Sen. Bernie Sanders' Senate office this week at Altman's request to discuss Sanders' plan for the public to take a 50% ownership stake in AI companies. Altman said he wants the public to have equity in AI companies but could not support Sanders' 50% threshold, though he wanted to work with him on the general idea.

Both Sanders and President Trump are now embracing the concept of giving the American public a stake in AI's growth, though for different political reasons. Trump described a potential partnership 'where the American people can benefit from the success of AI' and said executives from leading AI companies will visit the White House 'probably next week' to discuss the idea.

Public concern about AI is mounting beyond Washington: about 70% of college students see AI as a threat to their job prospects according to a 2025 poll by the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School; data center projects across the country have drawn opposition from residents concerned about electricity demand, water consumption, and environmental impacts; and commencement speakers have been interrupted by boos when discussing artificial intelligence.