OpenAI has proposed offering the US government a 5 percent ownership stake, aiming to ease tensions with the Trump administration and counter growing public concerns about artificial intelligence. The CEO, Sam Altman, believes this financial stake could share the benefits of AI more broadly.

The proposal is part of an ongoing discussion among US tech giants, which might also offer similar stakes to government entities. OpenAI's valuation at $852 billion would make a 5 percent slice worth about $42.6 billion – a hefty chunk for any government coffers.

However, the discussions are still in their early stages and uncertain. Tensions around AI have intensified under the Trump administration, with increased interventionist policies affecting competitors like Anthropic. The administration's recent actions, such as export controls on OpenAI’s models, highlight the growing interest of policymakers in controlling AI wealth.

Public officials are also mulling over ways to capture and redistribute AI-generated wealth. In a parallel move, the US government has already taken stakes in other tech companies, reflecting a trend towards using policy to control the burgeoning AI sector.