OpenAI CEO Sam Altman spoke to Sen. Bernie Sanders in private. He said he wants the public to have shares in AI companies.

Sanders had just made a plan. He wanted the public to own 50% of firms like OpenAI. He wanted this through a public wealth fund.

Altman did not support Sanders’ 50% goal. But people who know the meeting said more. They said Altman wants to work with Sanders on the bigger idea.

The talks showed a strange link in politics around AI. President Donald Trump also said the public should gain from AI success. He called it a possible deal with Americans.

Trump said AI company leaders will visit the White House next week. They will talk about the idea. He also said his voters and Sanders’ voters are not far apart on money issues.

The debate grows as AI companies face public worry. People worry about jobs, power use, water use, and harm to nature.

In Michigan, Altman appeared with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. They visited a large data center site. This drew criticism from activists and some Democrats.

Sen. Josh Hawley also wants limits on new data centers. He says companies should pay for their own power, grids, and water.

Altman said AI is a big change for society. He said people can use it and worry about it.

Sanders said Altman did not agree to his main demands. He wants public power in decisions. He also wants limits on AI industry election spending.

Meanwhile, Congress is moving on new AI rules. The Trump administration is also moving on them. Companies like Anthropic are also moving on new checks.