President Trump signs executive order on voluntary AI security review
President Trump signed an executive order creating a voluntary federal review process for advanced artificial intelligence models.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said he is considering having the federal government take a stake in an artificial intelligence company, likening the concept to a “partnership with the American people.”
President Trump said he plans to meet with executives from the nation’s largest AI companies as early as next week to discuss the possibility of the government taking a “portion” stake in the companies.
President Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on June 5, “The idea is to provide goods to the American people, and the American people essentially become partners in business.” “I’ve talked to all of them,” he said of AI companies. “There’s something very interesting about this, where it almost becomes a partnership with the American people. We’ll look at it. We’ll look at it.”
Trump’s comments came after NOTUS reported that Trump administration officials have discussed the possibility of acquiring stakes in AI companies with tech executives, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who first pitched the idea to Trump in early 2025.
NOTUS, citing three anonymous sources familiar with the talks, said the talks would see companies voluntarily transfer their shares to the government and investment proceeds to be used for public purposes, including potentially paying dividends to U.S. households. It is not clear how the government could legally compel companies to hand over their shares to the government. The size of the government’s capital is also unclear.
“We’re talking about the potential for the American people to benefit from the success of AI,” President Trump said. “That way they’ll like it more.”
The rapid expansion of AI and its impact on the labor market and humanity itself is increasing anxiety among Americans and people around the world. President Trump signed an executive order this week requiring AI developers to voluntarily submit their models to the federal government for review for potential cybersecurity risks.
In his second term, President Trump has sharply broken with the Republican Party’s historic hold on the government’s role in the private sector in industries it deems important to the nation.
Under the Trump administration, the federal government acquired a 10% stake in semiconductor giant Intel, stakes in several companies that produce metals and minerals, and so-called “golden shares” in U.S. Steel that give the government a say in certain decisions.
Given the government’s stake in AI, President Trump will adopt an initiative also supported by Democratic Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), although the scale will likely be smaller than the senator has suggested.
Sanders said he would soon introduce legislation aimed at giving the government 50% ownership of the nation’s largest AI companies. This is enough to give the government de facto decision-making power. Sanders wrote in a June 1 New York Times op-ed that his bill would impose a one-time 50% tax on corporate stock.
Asked about Sanders’ plans, Trump told reporters: “We’ve been talking about it for the past year,” adding that some voters who supported Sanders in the 2016 Democratic primary also supported him in the general election.
“As far as the economy is concerned, there are some areas where we are not that far apart,” Trump said.
X Contact Joey Garrison at @joeygarrison.
