/Tech5h ago

Proposed Government Stakes in US AI Firms Draw Cronyism Criticism

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Ramez Naam@ramez#1995inTech

Some combination of shakedown and buying favoritism.

This will entrench the power of the big players, as they become gov favorites. It will harm innovation, new entrants, and freedom of access to AI.

Scott Lincicome@scottlincicome

Shakedown: "The proposed arrangement would involve other US AI companies handing over a similar stake... Giving the government an ownership stake could help secure good relations with the administration" https://www.ft.com/content/7c803eab-8e80-4431-9a87-e943bf00e00b?accessToken=zwAAAZ8iNC9Wkc98gD6rjoBEMdOah-lDvwDgCw.MEQCIGXIkKxkCtUDy6djXhvb1Ns7FmGAPAFx-0HwLVj2UEf9AiBggetp4zFgvKUV6Au2KACJZbdJEriA5GOEKmP8edeRuA&sharetype=gift&token=5e8a13e9-1157-481e-b488-74343e40437e&syn-25a6b1a6=1

10:08 AM · Jul 2, 2026 · 1.3K Views

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Users object to proposed government stakes in US AI firms because they believe it will harm international business for those companies.

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Ramez Naam@ramez

Exactly. Giving the government ownership gets you favoritism and benefits from the government. A world where the top AI companies get favoritism for paying a tithe isn't a good one. It'll be anti-competitive and harder for new players, startups, and open weight AI.

Scott Lincicome@scottlincicome

The reason Trump keeps bragging about coercing an equity stake out of Intel is that it sends a message: you'd be smart to pony up too.

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Simon Cast@simoncast

@ramez It will also likely kill international business for them as well.

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