OpenAI released a policy framework Monday outlining economic and social measures it says governments may need as artificial intelligence expands across industries. The proposals include taxes on automated labor, the creation of a public wealth fund tied to AI profits, and incentives for companies to test a four-day workweek with no pay reduction. The document was published as concerns grow about job losses and economic disruption caused by increasingly capable AI systems.
OpenAI described the framework as a starting point for policymakers addressing what the company sees as a large technological transition. The company said the document presents “initial ideas” intended to address the possibility that “jobs and entire industries [could be] disrupted” through the adoption of AI tools across businesses and services.
“We’re beginning a transition toward superintelligence: AI systems capable of outperforming the smartest humans even when they are assisted by AI,” the company wrote. “No one knows exactly how this transition will unfold.”
The policy framework proposes revising tax structures so governments depend less on payroll taxes tied to employment income and more on revenue sources connected to capital and corporate activity. OpenAI wrote that as AI changes production and labor patterns, economic activity may increasingly generate corporate profits and capital gains while reducing reliance on income from human labor.
“As AI reshapes work and production, the composition of economic activity may shift — expanding corporate profits and capital gains while potentially reducing reliance on labor income and payroll taxes,” the company wrote.
The document proposes higher taxes on corporate income, AI-driven returns or capital gains at the top. It also raises the possibility of taxes connected to automated labor. The idea resembles a proposal Microsoft founder Bill Gates suggested in 2017, in which robots replacing human workers would pay taxes comparable to the contributions once made by the displaced employees.
OpenAI referenced the current U.S. corporate tax rate of 21%, reduced from 35% during President Donald Trump’s first term, while explaining that growing automation could affect funding for programs supported by payroll taxes. The company warned that programs including Social Security, Medicaid, SNAP and housing assistance rely on revenue streams tied to labor income.
Another proposal involves establishing a Public Wealth Fund intended to give citizens a financial stake in the AI economy. The concept would involve cooperation between lawmakers and AI companies to invest in long-term assets connected to artificial intelligence development. Returns generated from those investments would be distributed directly to citizens.
The structure resembles the Alaska Permanent Fund, which distributes oil revenues to state residents, though the OpenAI proposal focuses on profits produced by artificial intelligence infrastructure and companies participating in the AI boom. The company said the system could provide payments to people who do not own shares in technology firms benefiting from AI-driven growth.
OpenAI also proposed labor policies intended to change work schedules as AI increases productivity. The framework suggests governments encourage employers to test four-day workweeks with no reduction in wages. The proposal also includes “benefits bonuses” linked to productivity gains generated through new AI tools.
Additional workplace recommendations include increased retirement contribution matches, expanded employer coverage of healthcare costs, and financial support for childcare or eldercare. These benefits were described as responsibilities companies could provide to workers whose productivity increases through the use of AI technologies.
The document also discusses portable benefit accounts that would follow workers across different employers or platforms. These accounts could receive contributions from employers or labor platforms and continue delivering benefits as workers change jobs.
OpenAI’s policy framework also addresses social safety nets for workers affected by automation. The company supports maintaining strong Social Security and Medicaid systems and proposes temporary economic measures that would activate automatically when indicators tied to AI disruption reach certain levels. These could include expanded unemployment benefits or other forms of support during economic transitions.
The proposals extend to the infrastructure required for large-scale artificial intelligence systems. OpenAI called for faster expansion of the United States electricity grid, citing pressure created by the construction of data centers and energy demands associated with training powerful AI models.
The company also suggested speeding development of AI infrastructure through subsidies, tax credits, or government equity stakes in projects. OpenAI wrote that artificial intelligence systems may eventually function similarly to utilities, with industry and government cooperating to keep them widely available and affordable.
The document also addresses safety concerns associated with advanced AI systems. OpenAI proposes containment plans for dangerous AI, new oversight bodies and safeguards against high-risk uses, including cyberattacks and biological threats.
“We believe we should navigate it through a democratic process that gives people real power to shape the AI future they want,” the company wrote.
The proposals appear as global discussions intensify about regulating artificial intelligence. Governments are examining new frameworks for AI governance, including the European Union’s AI Act and policy discussions in Washington concerning national AI regulation.
Economic anxiety around automation has increased alongside the rapid adoption of enterprise AI tools developed by companies including OpenAI and Anthropic. Analysts have used the term “SaaSpolcalypse” to describe declining share prices among traditional software firms as AI systems begin performing tasks previously handled by conventional software products.
Artificial intelligence has already been cited in layoffs at companies such as Block and Atlassian, where automation and AI capabilities were part of corporate workforce planning.
Concerns about economic disruption grew further in February when a report outlining a hypothetical scenario in which AI advances could trigger a market crash and a consumer-driven recession caused a stock market sell-off.
OpenAI’s proposals follow earlier discussions within the AI industry about potential economic changes tied to superintelligent systems. In 2024, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei wrote that the arrival of AI superintelligence could mean the current organization of the global economy “will no longer make sense,” adding that policy responses could extend beyond a “large Universal Basic Income” program.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has supported a universal basic income, which proposes recurring payments to adults regardless of employment status. In May 2024, Altman introduced a variation called Universal Basic Compute that would distribute shares of AI computing power to individuals, who could use, sell, or donate the computing resources.
OpenAI linked its policy proposals to earlier periods of technological upheaval. The company pointed to the Industrial Age, when economic transformations led to the creation of labor protections, safety standards, social safety nets, and expanded access to education.
“We are entering a new phase of economic and social organization that will fundamentally reshape work, knowledge, and production,” OpenAI wrote.
