OpenAI Proposes New Social Contract to Manage Superintelligence

The AI research company OpenAI released a comprehensive policy paper on April 6, 2026, titled “Industrial Policy for the Intelligence Age: Ideas to Keep People First.” The framework proposes a new social contract to prevent extreme inequality and job disruption as the world transitions toward artificial superintelligence. Central to the proposal is the creation of a public wealth fund to give citizens ownership stakes in AI infrastructure and the distribution of AI-driven growth.

To address the erosion of labor-based tax revenue, the company advocates for shifting the tax burden toward corporate profits and capital gains, specifically suggesting a "robot tax" on automated labor. Labor recommendations include subsidies for a 32-hour workweek without pay reductions and the implementation of portable benefit accounts. OpenAI also calls for treating AI as a utility by expanding electrical infrastructure through government-industry collaboration.

Chief Executive Sam Altman emphasized that the U.S. must develop superintelligence aligned with democratic values to maintain a competitive edge over global rivals. He warned that the threat of terrorist groups using these models to create novel pathogens is no longer theoretical. While Chris Lehane, OpenAI's chief of global affairs, has met with approximately two dozen U.S. Senators to discuss these measures, the Trump administration has maintained a regulation-lite approach. This contrasts with efforts by Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to impose a moratorium on new AI data centers. OpenAI plans to host further discussions at its workshop in Washington, D.C., in May.