Trump Says U.S. Government Will Seek Equity Stakes in Top AI Companies
President Trump stated the government will pursue ownership positions in leading artificial intelligence firms. He said the companies are expected to agree voluntarily.
montrealgazette.comU.S. government will seek equity stakes in top AI companies. He indicated the firms will voluntarily provide ownership positions to the government. Trump made the remarks last week.
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CNBC first reported the comments. He was asked about them at the White House on Tuesday. “I’m gonna have meetings with the top 12 or 15 executives very shortly and we’re talking about giving back something to the public,” Trump said.
“And if we do that, the public will become very rich—the people in our country. ” No specific companies, timelines, or mechanisms were named. Palantir CEO Alex Karp addressed the idea in a CNBC interview on Wednesday.
He said Sen. Bernie Sanders will not be viewed as sufficiently progressive in two years because Sanders has called for the government to take a 50 percent ownership stake in the country’s largest AI companies. “You know how people don’t think I’m progressive?
In two years, they’re not going to think Bernie Sanders is progressive. They’re going to be like ‘Bernie Sanders, you only want 50%? '” Karp said. ” Karp said the most important political decisions in the country will be driven by whether politicians understand AI.
U.S. is better positioned to do so than Europe. Sen. Bernie Sanders posted a video to his social media earlier this month. “The question is not whether AI will change the world—it will,” Sanders said.
David Sacks came out against the idea of nationalization of AI last week. Sacks warned that Republicans who adopt the position will regret it later. Trump has previously floated the idea of a “refund” check funded by tariffs.
It remains unclear whether he will meet with AI executives before the midterm elections in November.
