OpenAI calls for sweeping economic reforms amid rapid growth of artificial intelligence

OpenAI on Monday called for sweeping reforms to address the rapid growth of artificial intelligence, including a public wealth fund, taxes on automated labor, and a potential four-day workweek.

"We're beginning a transition toward superintelligence: AI systems capable of outperforming the smartest humans even when they are assisted by AI. No one knows exactly how this transition will unfold. At OpenAI, we believe we should navigate it through a democratic process that gives people real power to shape the AI future they want," the US company said on Monday.

The company said the policy paper outlines a set of “initial ideas” aimed at addressing the risk of job losses and widespread disruption across industries driven by the adoption of AI tools.

Among the key proposals is the creation of a public wealth fund under which governments and AI firms would jointly invest in long-term assets tied to the AI boom, with returns distributed directly to citizens, according to Business Insider.

Another proposal calls on governments to encourage and incentivize employers to pilot four-day workweeks without reducing pay, alongside offering “benefits bonuses” linked to productivity gains from new AI tools.

The document also urged tax reforms, including shifting the tax base toward corporate income and capital gains, and introducing taxes on automated labor to offset potential job losses from AI.

OpenAI also urged a faster expansion of the US electricity grid to cope with rising energy demand driven by data center growth and increasingly powerful AI systems.