Apr 9, 2026
While evangelists of artificial intelligence have beat the drum about the benefits of the technology, most of the news surrounding it has been rather grim so far. Layoffs, environmental impacts of data centers and a slew of misinformation being taken as fact tend to rule the headlines.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is hoping to reverse some of that negative PR, though, showcasing some of the company's ideas to ensure AI doesn't overshadow humanity as the technology grows.
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In a 13-page document (1)(2), the company proposes both a public wealth fund that would give everyone (not just investors) a stake in economic growth that comes from AI, as well as a 32-hour work week, but a 40-hour paycheck.
Sounds too good to be true? It might be, the company admits, but it's hoping to kickstart the national conversation.
"These ideas are ambitious, but intentionally early and exploratory," OpenAI wrote (3)(4) when introducing the document. "We offer them not as a comprehensive or final set of recommendations, but as a starting point for discussion that we invite others to build on, refine, challenge, or choose among through the democratic process."
Here's some of what OpenAI is proposing.
Public wealth fund
Arguably the most polarizing suggestion in OpenAI's document is the creation of a public fund, which would give every American citizen a stake in AI-driven economic growth, even if they haven't invested in financial markets.
"Policymakers and AI companies should work together to determine how to best seed the Fund, which could invest in diversified, long-term assets that capture growth in both AI companies and the broader set of firms adopting and deploying AI," the report reads.
It envisions distributed funds allowing people to invest directly in AI-driven companies, which could keep the wealth gap from widening further and encourage people — regardless of their wealth — to "participate directly in the upside of AI-driven growth."
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Shorter workweeks
For all the talk of AI's efficiencies, there hasn't been a lot of discussion about how those productivity enhancements actually benefit workers. Most scenarios focus on increased output for companies.
For example, Claude estimates (5) that AI reduces the time that workers spend on completing tasks by 80%. Over the next decade, it believes that the current AI models could increase annual US labor productivity growth by 1.8%.
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OpenAI suggests that these efficiency gains should be translated into worker benefits, beyond saved time. Specifically, it mentions increasing retirement matches and contributions, covering a larger share of healthcare costs and running a pilot program for 32-hour/four-day workweeks, with compensation for a full 40 hours.
AI for everyone
AI, the policy paper argues, should be treated as "foundational for participation in the modern economy, similar to mass efforts to increase global literacy." While the Internet is still not evenly distributed across the country (or the world), OpenAI wants AI to be affordable and reliable from the start.
"Make a baseline level of capability broadly available, including through free or low-cost access points," the report argues.
Read More: Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan ‘works every single time’ to kill debt, get rich in America — and that ‘anyone’ can do it
Taxing robots more, people less
While the public wealth fund proposal is a radical idea, OpenAI also suggests a significant reworking on the tax base, including reducing the U.S. reliance on labor income and payroll taxes.
To ensure public works programs continue to receive funding, though, it has a suggestion that already has fairly strong support – along with a fairly revolutionary one: Tax the rich – and tax the robots that take human jobs.
"Policymakers could rebalance the tax base by increasing reliance on capital-based revenues—such as higher taxes on capital gains at the top, corporate income, or targeted measures on sustained AI-driven returns—and by exploring new approaches such as taxes related to automated labor," OpenAI writes.
Making things easier for entrepreneurs
Some startups are already using AI to streamline some of the early necessities to launching a business, such as building a website or summarizing market research. OpenAI suggests broadening that with microgrants or revenue-based financing.
Another idea? A "startup-in-a-box" kit that includes things such as model contracts and a back-office infrastructure to help small businesses compete more quickly than they do today.
Safety nets for the vulnerable
While most people (and AI companies) agree that there needs to be safety protocols in place for AI, OpenAI's policy proposal underlines the need to ensure any benefits realized as a result of the technology should benefit everyone equally.
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"That starts with unemployment insurance, SNAP, Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare that are not just in place but fully functional, accessible, and responsive to the realities people will face during the transition," the report says.
And, yes, that does also sound like a warning about the technology's impact on the job market.
Guardrails for government use
Anthropic is currently leading the fight about restrictions on government use of AI. The conversation emerged after the Department of War (formerly the Department of Defense) terminated its contracts with Anthropic and labeled the company a "supply chain risk." This was because Anthropic refused to allow its Claude AI model to be used for autonomous weapons or mass surveillance.
That legal battle is ongoing (and a court sided with the AI company (6)(7) in early hearings).
OpenAI doubles down on potential use restrictions, though, suggesting policymakers "establish clear rules for how governments can and cannot use AI, with especially high standards for reliability, alignment, and safety" that are codified in law.
It also suggests AI can be used to strengthen democratic accountability, acting as an audit tool to detect abuse.
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Article Sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines.
OpenAI (1)(2)(3)(4); Anthropic (5); The New York Times (6)(7)
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Chris Morris is a veteran journalist with more than 35 years of experience, the majority of which were spent with some of the Internet’s biggest sites, including CNNMoney.com, where he was director of content development, and Yahoo! Finance, where he was managing editor. His work has also appeared on Fortune, Fast Company, Inc., CNBC.com, AARP, Nasdaq.com, and Voice of America, as well as dozens of other national publications.
