Sen. Bernie Sanders’ proposal for public equity stakes in AI companies is drawing responses from both industry and the White House. A report described Sanders meeting with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in a private session after Sanders announced a plan to create a public wealth fund funded through AI stock. The discussion underscores tensions over who bears the costs of the AI boom and whether governments should share upside via equity structures. Trump signaled support for a potential “partnership” approach where the public benefits from AI success, while describing AI executives visiting the White House. For colleges, the policy relevance is immediate: public-sector ownership and dividend-like models could influence how universities procure AI tools, how they interpret workforce transitions, and how they partner with industry on research and commercialization.