OpenAI chief proposes blueprint for tax, labour and safety in AI era

OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman has outlined a broad policy framework for managing the economic and societal impact of advanced artificial intelligence, arguing that the pace of technological change will require a fundamental rethink of taxation, labour and social protections. In an interview with Axios, Altman said the rapid development of AI systems could necessitate a new “social contract” comparable in scale to reforms introduced during the early 20th century and the New Deal era.

Altman warned that the risks associated with increasingly powerful AI are no longer theoretical. Among the most immediate concerns, he identified the potential for large-scale cyberattacks and the misuse of AI in biological research. He said it is plausible that advanced models could enable significant cyber threats within the next year, while also lowering barriers for the creation of harmful biological agents, even as the same technologies hold promise for major medical breakthroughs.

To address these challenges, OpenAI has published a 13-page document titled Industrial Policy for the Intelligence Age, which sets out policy ideas intended to stimulate public debate rather than serve as a definitive roadmap.

One of the central proposals is the creation of a public wealth fund that would give citizens a direct financial stake in AI-driven economic growth. The fund would be supported in part by contributions from AI companies and invested across sectors benefiting from the technology. The document also suggests rethinking taxation by shifting emphasis from labour to capital, including the possibility of levies on automated systems, as AI reduces reliance on human workers.

In the labour market, OpenAI proposes experimenting with shorter working weeks, allowing productivity gains from AI to translate into reduced working hours without loss of pay. It also frames access to AI tools as a basic economic necessity, calling for affordable availability for individuals, small businesses and public institutions.

The blueprint further addresses safety concerns, including scenarios involving autonomous AI systems that may be difficult to control. In such cases, it calls for coordinated responses between industry and government. Additionally, it proposes automatic economic stabilisers that would expand public support programmes if AI-driven job displacement reaches predefined thresholds.

Altman acknowledged that multiple companies are developing similar technologies and stressed the importance of shared responsibility in shaping outcomes. The proposals also position OpenAI as an active participant in regulatory discussions at a time when governments are increasingly focused on AI oversight.

By Tamilla Hasanova