Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders and Sam Altman all talk about public ownership of AI

From left to right; OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Related Companies CEO Brent Behrman, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Oracle CEO Clay Magouyrk at the groundbreaking for the Barn Data Center in Saline Township, Mich., Monday, June 1, 2026. (Jacob Hamilton/Ann Arbor News via AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — It was perhaps a surprising private overture from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to Sen. Bernie Sanders.

The meeting between the two men took place just after the Vermont senator announced a plan to allow the public to take a 50% stake in artificial intelligence companies such as OpenAI, using their shares to create a public wealth fund that would distribute the wealth generated by the AI ​​giants.

Altman told Sanders that he, too, wants the public to have a stake in AI companies. Although the CEO said he couldn’t support Sanders’ 50% threshold, he still wanted to work with him to make the case for the general idea, according to people with knowledge of the conversation.

The nearly hour-long meeting held this week in Sanders’ Senate office, at Altman’s request, highlighted the inherent tension between AI powerhouses and policymakers, as Americans are increasingly asked to accept the costs of the AI ​​boom, even if they remain unconvinced of its direct benefits. Yet it also creates strange political camaraderie fueled by populism, as politicians from Sanders to President Donald Trump agree to give the public a stake in AI’s growth.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Friday, Trump described a potential partnership “where the American people can benefit from the success of AI” and said executives from major AI companies would visit the White House, “probably next week,” to discuss the idea.

“There is something very interesting about this, it almost becomes a partnership with the American public,” Republican Trump said on Friday.

When reporters pointed out to Trump that Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, had proposed public ownership of AI companies, he pointed out the similarities between their coalitions. The economic views of Trump voters and those who supported Sanders for president, Trump said, “are not that far apart.”

Trump accepted government investments in private companies during his second term, muddling his party’s policies. His administration secured a 10% stake in Intel, a struggling Silicon Valley company, last year and considered a government buyout of Spirit Airlines earlier this year, although the airline failed to reach a deal and ultimately closed.

Public backlash is getting harder to ignore

The positioning of figures such as Trump and Sanders comes as concerns about AI emerge far beyond Washington.

In Michigan, Democrats recently clashed over Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s appearance with Altman at the site of a major data center. Candidates like New York Democratic House candidate Alex Bores have also made AI regulation a campaign issue by exploiting voters’ angst about the technology.

“It’s a real game-changer for society,” Altman told reporters this week. “I think it’s possible both that people are using AI a lot, that they enjoy using it, and that they’re also anxious about what it’s going to do for the future.”

Data center projects across the country have drawn opposition from residents concerned about electricity demand, water consumption and environmental impacts. Some states once eager to attract these facilities, including Ohio and Virginia, have decided to reconsider tax incentives.

“We need to pass a law now that says there will be no more data center development until they agree to pay for their own electricity, build their own networks and pay for their own water supply,” Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, a prominent Republican skeptic of big tech, told the Associated Press.

Before arriving in Washington, Altman stopped in Michigan on Monday to appear alongside Whitmer, a Democrat, at the construction site of a 1.65 million square foot data center. Whitmer’s team claimed the project would create more than 2,500 union construction jobs.

But it also drew criticism from local activists and some Democrats, including Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who called the plan “disgusting.” She said she was “so disappointed” in Whitmer.

“It’s a very controversial topic right now and it’s coming from the grassroots,” Michigan Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin said of the grassroots resistance. “People are very attached to it.”

Whitmer told reporters after the event, however, that “one thing is very clear: Everyone has a cell phone in their pocket.”

“We’re all consuming more and more technology and data and these data centers are going to be built. So I think if we can keep them at a high level and do it in Michigan, that’s the best way to do it,” she said.

Tensions extend beyond data centers. On college campuses, freshman speakers have been interrupted by boos as they discuss artificial intelligence. About 70% of students view AI as a threat to their job prospects, according to a 2025 poll by the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Altman acknowledged these concerns. He said that while “the impact on employment has been less than many people in our field expected,” he understands “students are very anxious about the future.”

Washington seeks AI bargain

The idea that AI expansion is inevitable is increasingly shared by leaders across the political spectrum, even as they sharply disagree on how to manage it.

This reality was at the center of Altman’s conversations in Washington. Besides Sanders, Altman met with Trump administration officials, such as Michael Kratsios, the White House’s top science and technology adviser, as well as congressional leaders from both parties.

Sanders’ team pointed out that the two men failed to reach agreement on key points the senator made to Altman, including the 50 percent figure for the public to have decision-making power. Sanders has also expressed opposition to the AI ​​industry’s growing campaign spending.

“Unfortunately, Sam Altman has not committed to any of these items,” Sanders spokesman Jeremy Slevin said.

Altman, coming out of the conversation, called it “great,” adding that the two “obviously don’t agree on everything.”

Policymakers are also considering how AI should be governed.

Congress this week released a bipartisan framework that would establish the first broad federal approach to AI regulation while temporarily preempting many state laws.

Anthropic, one of OpenAI’s main competitors, has proposed mechanisms to coordinate pauses in advanced AI development if systems become too powerful.

The Trump administration has also begun building its own oversight structure, signing an executive order to establish a process for reviewing national security risks posed by advanced AI systems before they are released.

Sanders said he found the administration’s decision remarkable after years of warnings that regulation could slow American innovation.

“Even these guys are starting to understand that there are legitimate concerns that need to be addressed,” Sanders said.

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One en route from Joint Base Andrews, Md., to Eau Claire, Wis., Friday, June 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Copy article link

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos