U.S. Government Explores Equity Stakes in AI Firms Amid Policy Shift, June 6

According to CCTV, on June 6, U.S. government officials held preliminary discussions with major American AI firms about potential government equity stakes in the companies. Three sources close to the matter revealed that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has been regularly discussing the concept with senior officials since President Trump's second term began.

Altman first introduced the proposal to Trump in early 2025 and resumed discussions with government officials in recent weeks, framing it as a way to distribute AI-related economic benefits more broadly. The discussions have focused on firms voluntarily transferring shares to the government, with investment returns earmarked for public purposes. However, the plan remains under development with specific details yet to be finalized.