Nearly 70% of U.S. Adults Favor Requiring AI Firms to Hand Over Half Their Shares to Public Fund

A new national survey finds that more than two-thirds of Americans support a radical proposal to redistribute the gains from artificial intelligence. The poll, conducted by Verasight among 1,690 U.S. adults, showed that 69% of respondents back forcing AI companies to transfer 50% of their stock to a public sovereign wealth fund, according to CNBC.

"The poll reflects growing public desire to hold corporations accountable amid rising tech layoffs and increasing corporate profits."

The idea of an AI sovereign wealth fund has emerged as a direct response to the widening gap between soaring corporate earnings and widespread job losses in the tech sector. CNBC reported that the concept is seen as a mechanism to distribute the benefits of AI innovation more broadly across society, rather than allowing them to concentrate among a handful of companies and their shareholders.

As tech layoffs continue to mount, the push for such a fund signals a shift in public sentiment. MachineBrief noted that U.S. employees are demanding corporate accountability, framing the proposal as a test of whether the system can deliver fairer outcomes.

"The concept of an AI sovereign wealth fund is seen as a mechanism to distribute the gains from AI innovation more broadly across society."

The survey underscores a growing willingness among Americans to use government intervention to reshape how the profits from emerging technologies are shared. Whether the proposal gains political traction, however, remains an open question as policymakers weigh the balance between innovation and equity.