Lead
US President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that leading American artificial intelligence companies would make a public “contribution” to the country, offering few details but fuelling speculation about a greater government role in the booming industry.
Speaking in the Oval Office on Monday morning, Trump said tech companies “making tremendous amounts of money” will be making “a contribution to the people of our country”.
“We’re going to have guardrails … You know that. But [AI] can be used for tremendous good. And mostly good, and some bad,” he said, according to a report by the South China Morning Post.
Trump suggested discussions were under way within his administration over such public “contributions”, telling Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, “You know what I’m talking about”, before declining to explain what form they might take.
Coverage comparison
The Guardian reported that OpenAI is in early-stage talks to give a 5% stake in the ChatGPT developer to the US government. The proposal, which would also involve other US AI companies giving a similar stake, could help improve the industry’s relations with the Trump administration, the outlet said.
The South China Morning Post focused on Trump’s remarks themselves, and noted that they come weeks after the Trump administration tightened its oversight of frontier AI companies amid concerns over national security and Chinese access to cutting-edge US technology.
The report stated that last month the administration issued an emergency export control directive that forced Claude model developer Anthropic to suspend global access to its latest flagship models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5.
In its report, The Guardian — World added that the proposal comes from OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, who has argued that giving the US public a financial stake in the company is the best way to share the benefits of AI. The Guardian’s piece, which cited the Financial Times as its source, followed remarks from Altman and other OpenAI bosses that each of the biggest AI developers in the US should give 5% of their equity to an investment vehicle such as the Alaska Permanent Fund, a sovereign fund that invests US oil wealth into stocks and pays dividends to the state.
Key Claims
- Comments by President Trump (reported by The South China Morning Post, with quotes from the President): At the White House, the president told reporters that tech companies ‘making tremendous amounts of money’ would be making ‘a contribution to the people of our country’, and described plans for ‘guardrails’.[1] He also hinted at internal administration discussions on the topic.[2] Moreover, the president’s remarks came weeks after the administration issued an emergency export control directive and tightened oversight of frontier AI companies.[3]
- A reported government-stake proposal (as reported by The Guardian — World, citing the Financial Times): OpenAI is reportedly in early-stage talks to give a 5% stake in itself to the US government, with other leading AI developers possibly following suit, according to an unnamed source. The proposal appears to be initial, and any deal could need an act of Congress. Sam Altman, OpenAI’s chief executive, is reported as arguing that a public wealth fund could provide every citizen with a stake in growing AI economy.[4]
- Anthropic’s suspension (reported by both The Guardian and the South China Morning Post): Anthropic suspended its newest model last month after the government ordered the firm to curtail access for foreign nationals on national security grounds; this week, it restored and resolved safety concerns. The South China Morning Post’s frame suggests its Claude model is at the centre of a dispute over alleged illicit access from China.
- “We’re going to have guardrails … You know that. But [AI] can be used for tremendous good. And mostly good, and some line.
- Trump told Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent “You know what I’m talking about”, before declining to explain their form.
- The South China Morning Post also notes that the directives and increased oversight came amid “growing concerns over national security and Chinese access to cutting-edge US technology”.
- As reported by The Guardian, the original FT report said that the talks are “conceptual” and in early stages.