OpenAI Proposes New Economy Based on Sovereign Wealth Funds and Capital Taxation for the AI Era

OpenAI, the giant valued at $852 billion, recently released an ambitious set of policy guidelines designed to reshape the global economy in the face of the rise of superintelligent artificial intelligence. The document serves as a strategic manifesto that seeks to guide policymakers, investors, and society on how economic infrastructure must evolve to mitigate the risks of labor displacement and extreme wealth concentration. By blending progressive ideals, such as the creation of sovereign wealth funds, with market-oriented capitalist mechanisms, the company is attempting to position itself as a leading voice in an increasingly polarized political debate.

The Political and Economic Context

The initiative emerges at a time of deep social anxiety, marked by growing concerns over technological unemployment and the rampant expansion of data centers across the country. The political landscape in the United States, with the transition to the Trump administration and the approach of the midterm elections, lends extra weight to these proposals. OpenAI appears to be seeking bipartisan common ground, although this move occurs in parallel with intense political lobbying by industry executives. Greg Brockman, president of OpenAI, is one of the heavyweights who has directed significant resources to super PACs that advocate for lighter regulation for the AI sector, demonstrating that the company's influence extends far beyond algorithms.

Pillars of the Proposal and Fiscal Strategy

The core of OpenAI's plan is based on three fundamental objectives: more equitable distribution of the prosperity generated by AI, the implementation of safeguards against systemic risks, and the democratization of access to computing capabilities. One of the most radical changes suggested is the shift of the tax base: the company advocates shifting the fiscal burden from labor to capital. The logic lies in the perception that, as AI automates processes, the payroll tax base—which supports programs like Social Security and Medicare—will suffer significant erosion. To compensate, the organization proposes increasing the burden on corporate profits, capital gains, and, notably, implementing a 'robot tax,' similar to the concept advocated by Bill Gates in 2017, where automation pays taxes equivalent to the cost of a replaced human worker.

Market Impacts and Social Responsibility

In addition to tax reform, OpenAI proposes the creation of a Public Wealth Fund, which would guarantee citizens a direct stake in the profits of AI companies and technological infrastructure, regardless of whether they hold investments in the capital markets. In the labor sphere, the company suggests incentivizing a four-day workweek without salary reductions, presenting this measure as a natural benefit of the efficiency brought by AI. However, critics point out that the company focuses on benefits tied to employment, such as subsidies for healthcare and retirement, which may leave those workers who lose their jobs to automation stranded. The suggestion of portable benefit accounts, while useful, still keeps the system dependent on corporate contributions, avoiding the creation of a state-funded universal coverage model.

Comparison and Competitive Landscape

OpenAI's strategy is not isolated. About six months ago, Anthropic, its main rival in the development of language models, presented its own set of policy guidelines. Both companies are trying to anticipate government regulation, positioning themselves as necessary advisors in a transition that they themselves are catalyzing. While OpenAI emphasizes the need to expand electrical infrastructure and treat AI as a basic public utility, it also attempts to balance its for-profit nature with the legacy of its foundation as a non-profit organization. This dilemma between meeting fiduciary duties to shareholders and keeping the promise of benefiting all of humanity remains the greatest point of tension in the company's narrative.

Future Perspectives and Governance

Looking to the future, OpenAI advocates for a new industrial policy agenda that prioritizes resilience and safety. This includes containment plans for dangerous models, the creation of new oversight bodies, and safeguards against biological threats or cyberattacks facilitated by autonomous systems. The company draws a parallel with the 'New Deal' era, arguing that, as in the past, society needs new institutions and social protection standards to ensure that technological innovation translates into security and opportunity for all. It remains to be seen whether the government and industry will be willing to adopt measures that, while fundamental for stability, require significant sacrifices in the profit margins of the corporations that dominate today's tech sector.