[AI + Anthropic] The US government takes a stake in an AI giant; Anthropic reportedly did not consult with the White House

After OpenAI was reported to have discussed with the U.S. government a deal to provide 5% equity, another AI company, Anthropic, was also asked whether it would have a similar arrangement. Reuters, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that the Trump administration and Anthropic have not discussed the U.S. government taking an equity stake.

OpenAI rumored to have discussed giving 5% equity

Earlier foreign media reports said OpenAI had discussed with the U.S. government providing 5% equity to the government. The news prompted the market to ask whether other AI giants would hold similar talks with Washington.

In recent months, the U.S. government has stepped up scrutiny of the AI industry, including the risks of advanced models being misused, and whether U.S. people can share in the benefits of the sharp rise in AI company valuations. U.S. President Trump said last month that he is studying different options to allow the public to hold interests in leading AI companies, to address concerns that profits in the AI industry are concentrated among a small number of investors.

Anthropic is OpenAI’s main competitor

Anthropic is one of OpenAI’s main competitors. Its Claude model has seen growing adoption in enterprise markets and programming-related application scenarios. In recent years, the company has received backing from major technology firms and investors, and its valuation has also risen amid the generative AI boom.

If the U.S. government takes a stake in an AI company, it would move the relationship between Washington and cutting-edge AI firms beyond simple regulation, further involving equity and industry-profit arrangements. However, for Anthropic, people familiar with the matter said the Trump administration and the company have not, for now, discussed government ownership.