The meeting between the two occurred shortly after the Vermont senator unveiled a plan for the public to gain a 50% ownership stake in AI companies, including OpenAI, using their shares to create a public wealth fund aimed at distributing the riches generated by AI giants.
Altman informed Sanders that he, too, is in favor of public equity in AI firms. While the CEO indicated he couldn’t support Sanders’ 50% proposal, he was eager to collaborate to promote the general concept, according to sources familiar with the discussion.
The nearly hour-long meeting in Sanders’ Senate office this week, initiated by Altman, underscored the vital tension between AI corporations and policymakers as Americans face rising costs associated with the AI boom, while many remain skeptical about its direct advantages. However, it’s fostering unusual political alliances driven by populism, as figures from Sanders to former President Donald Trump advocate for public involvement in AI’s advancement.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Friday, Trump described a possible collaboration “where the American people can benefit from the success of AI” and mentioned that executives from top AI companies will visit the White House, “probably next week,” to discuss this notion.
“There’s something very compelling about it, where it almost becomes a partnership with the American public,” Trump, a Republican, remarked on Friday.
When reporters pointed out to Trump that Sanders, a self-identified democratic socialist, had suggested public ownership in AI companies, he highlighted similarities in their voter bases. Trump stated that the economic perspectives of his voters and those who supported Sanders for president “aren’t that far apart.”
Trump has endorsed government investment in private enterprises during his second term, shifting his party’s dynamics. Last year, his administration secured a 10% share in the struggling Silicon Valley company Intel, and it considered a government takeover of Spirit Airlines earlier this year, though the airline ultimately closed without reaching a deal.
The positioning of prominent figures like Trump and Sanders comes amid rising concerns about AI that are spreading well beyond Washington.
In Michigan, Democrats have recently clashed over Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s appearance alongside Altman at the site of a major data center. Candidates such as New York Democratic House hopeful Alex Bores have also made AI regulation a pivotal campaign topic, tapping into voters’ concerns about the technology.
“This is a real change to society,” Altman remarked to reporters this week. “I think it’s possible for people to use AI extensively and enjoy it, yet still feel anxious about its implications for the future.”
Data center developments nationwide have faced opposition from residents worried about electricity usage, water consumption, and environmental effects. Some states that were once eager to attract these facilities, such as Ohio and Virginia, have begun reevaluating tax incentives.
“Legislation should be passed right away to state that there will be no further data center development unless they commit to covering their own electricity costs, building their own grids, and securing their own water supply,” Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, a prominent Republican critic of Big Tech, stated to The Associated Press.
Before arriving in Washington, Altman stopped in Michigan on Monday to join Whitmer, a Democrat, at the site of a 1.65 million-square-foot data center. Whitmer’s team claimed the project would generate over 2,500 union construction jobs.
However, it garnered criticism from local activists and some Democrats, including Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who described the project as “disgusting.” She voiced her “deep disappointment” in Whitmer.
“This is a highly controversial issue right now, and it’s emerging from grassroots efforts,” Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat, commented on the backlash. “People feel very passionately about it.”
Whitmer, however, told reporters after the event that “one thing’s very clear—we all carry cellphones.”
“We are increasingly consuming technology and data, and these data centers are going to be constructed. My view is that if we can hold them to high standards and do it in Michigan, that’s the best path forward,” she stated.
The tensions extend beyond data centers. On college campuses, commencement speakers have faced boos when discussing artificial intelligence. Approximately 70% of college students perceive 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 indicated that while “the impact on jobs has been less than many in our field anticipated,” he comprehends “that college students experience a lot of anxiety regarding the future.”
The belief that the growth of AI is inevitable is increasingly shared by leaders across the political spectrum, despite sharp disagreements on management approaches.
This reality was central to Altman’s discussions in Washington. Alongside Sanders, Altman met with officials from the Trump administration, including Michael Kratsios, the White House’s chief science and technology adviser, and congressional leaders from both parties.
Sanders’ team highlighted that no agreement was reached on the main points he presented to Altman, including the 50% threshold to ensure public decision-making power. Sanders also expressed concerns about the escalating election spending by the AI industry.
“Regrettably, Sam Altman did not commit to any of these,” stated Sanders’ spokesperson Jeremy Slevin.
Emerging from the conversation, Altman referred to it as “great,” adding that they “obviously do not agree on everything.”
This week, Congress unveiled a bipartisan framework aiming to establish the first broad federal approach to AI regulation while temporarily overriding many state laws.
Anthropic, a top competitor of OpenAI, has proposed methods for coordinating pauses on advanced AI development if systems become excessively powerful.
The Trump administration has also begun formulating its oversight infrastructure, signing an executive order to create a process for evaluating national security risks posed by advanced AI systems prior to their public release.
Sanders noted that he found the administration’s actions noteworthy after years of cautioning that regulation could hinder American innovation.
“Even these individuals are starting to recognize that there are legitimate concerns that need to be addressed,” Sanders remarked.
