OpenAI is offering 5% equity to the US government. Trump has ordered the creation of a US sovereign wealth fund, received 10% government equity in Intel, and a “golden share” in US Steel. Now Bernie Sanders has proposed 50% nationalization of AI stocks, to be held in a sovereign wealth fund that will finance a UBI. Why is there a sudden convergence by Right and Left on nationalizing AI?

Notes

“The Case for Nationalizing Artificial Intelligence” Dustin Guastella https://jacobin.com/2026/07/ai-policy-nationalization-commons-work

“The Sanders-Trump Plan for an AI Sovereign Wealth Fund: Don’t Buy It” Dean Baker https://cepr.net/publications/the-sanders-trump-plan-for-an-ai-sovereign-wealth-fund-dont-buy-it/

“The Bernie Sanders AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Proposal” Matt Bruenig https://www.peoplespolicyproject.org/2026/06/26/bernie-sanders-ai-swf/

“OpenAI Woos Trump Administration as Investor” Chad de Guzman https://time.com/article/2026/07/03/openai-invest-ai-trump-administration-sam-altman/

“Why Everyone Is Suddenly Talking About ‘Universal Basic Capital’” Rogé Karma https://www.theatlantic.com/economy/2026/07/universal-basic-capital-ai/687759/

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