OpenAI AI policy proposals released this week call for a public wealth fund, electrical grid expansion, and updated tax systems as the company warns that advanced AI could displace workers and concentrate wealth among a small number of firms.
The proposals appear in a document titled “Industrial Policy for the Intelligence Age: Ideas to Keep People First.” In it, OpenAI states the technology is beginning to handle work that currently takes humans hours or even months to complete.
AI’s Impact Compared to Industrial Revolutions
OpenAI argues the effect of artificial intelligence on jobs, productivity, and social institutions will rival and likely exceed previous industrial revolutions. The company warns the transition could lead to job displacement, misuse in areas including cybersecurity and biology, and wealth concentrating among a small number of companies without clear guidelines.
“As we move toward superintelligence, building a resilient society will require a similar but speedier effort.”
OpenAI
Three Core Objectives in the OpenAI AI Policy
The paper sets out three core objectives: sharing AI-driven prosperity broadly; mitigating systemic risks as capabilities scale; and democratising access so people retain choice at work and in society. OpenAI states existing regulatory and economic tools are not designed for the scale and speed of change the technology brings.
Key Proposals: Tax Reform, Infrastructure, and Worker Input
Among the specific measures, OpenAI proposes incorporating staff feedback into AI deployments and treating foundational models as essential infrastructure. The company also calls for updating tax systems as income shifts from labour to capital, a change that reflects growing concern about how AI affects the economy.
On the infrastructure side, OpenAI states electrical grid expansion could be accelerated by creating new public-private partnership models to finance the power capacity needed to run AI systems at scale. The creation of a public wealth fund is also proposed as a mechanism to distribute the financial gains from AI more widely across society.
Starting Point for a Broader Conversation
OpenAI described the proposals as “a starting point for a broader conversation about how to ensure that AI benefits everyone.” The company said it is proposing ambitious approaches to building a more resilient society as AI capabilities continue to advance.
The document does not specify which government or jurisdiction the proposals are directed at, though the framing around industrial policy and public investment suggests a focus on federal-level action. No timeline was given for any of the proposed measures.
