Tech • IA • Crypto
Is Trump doing whatever he wants with AI?
9/10TL;DR
Proposals for U.S. state stakes in AI leaders, alongside military uses and global competition, signal a major geopolitical shift in artificial intelligence.
KEY POINTS
U.S. government eyes stakes in AI firms
Reports indicate that Donald Trump is considering allowing the U.S. government to take equity stakes in leading AI companies such as OpenAI and possibly Anthropic. The proposal would involve companies granting shares to the state rather than selling them, marking a significant departure from traditional U.S. free-market doctrine. The move reflects growing recognition of AI as a strategic national asset.
Bipartisan support for AI wealth redistribution
The idea of public benefit from AI profits is gaining traction across political lines. Senator Bernie Sanders has proposed a more aggressive model, suggesting up to 50% of AI-generated wealth be directed into a national fund. Such funds could support workforce retraining or social programs amid anticipated job disruption from automation.
OpenAI’s evolving structure and incentives
Since transitioning to a public benefit corporation, OpenAI has explored mechanisms to justify its societal mission while pursuing massive valuations, reportedly exceeding $800 billion. Sharing equity with the government could help align public expectations, reduce regulatory pressure, and reassure investors ahead of a potential IPO.
Strategic precedent in U.S. industrial policy
The approach echoes earlier intervention in Intel, where U.S. authorities supported the semiconductor firm in exchange for strategic leverage. Applying similar logic to AI would formalize a model of “state-backed capitalism” in critical technologies, potentially reshaping global competition.
Concerns over global imbalance
Such policies could intensify geopolitical tensions, especially with Europe and China. European actors risk funding U.S. tech dominance indirectly, while lacking equivalent public-private frameworks. The model could accelerate fragmentation of the global AI ecosystem into competing blocs.
Anthropic’s technology reportedly used by NSA
Despite earlier restrictions on its use in government systems, Anthropic’s advanced model Mythos is reportedly being used by the NSA for offensive cyber operations. The system excels at detecting “zero-day” vulnerabilities, enabling potential exploitation of foreign software systems.
Mythos demonstrates unprecedented capability
In tests, Mythos identified around 6,000 critical vulnerabilities across 1,000 codebases in just weeks, a task that would typically take years. This capability has dual-use implications, strengthening cybersecurity but also enabling large-scale offensive cyber strategies.
Ethical tensions in AI deployment
Anthropic had positioned itself as an ethical alternative, opposing mass surveillance and lethal autonomous weapons. However, reported collaboration with intelligence operations highlights the difficulty of maintaining strict ethical boundaries in national security contexts.
Japan’s Sakana AI explores alternative path
Sakana AI is advancing a different paradigm through its RSI Lab, focused on recursive self-improving AI. Inspired by evolutionary processes, the approach emphasizes efficiency and adaptability rather than brute computational scale, challenging dominant U.S. and Chinese strategies.
Emergence of risky online “challenge markets”
A growing online ecosystem is incentivizing users with cryptocurrency to perform dangerous or illegal acts, from public disruptions to property damage. The anonymity of blockchain transactions complicates enforcement, raising concerns about public safety and regulation.
Apple faces pressure in AI race
At its annual WWDC, Apple is expected to outline its AI strategy amid criticism that it lags behind rivals. Its “Apple Intelligence” approach favors on-device processing for privacy, but limitations in capability may force reliance on external models such as Google Gemini or others.
CONCLUSION
The convergence of state intervention, military applications, and corporate strategy is transforming AI into a central arena of geopolitical power, with global implications still unfolding.