OpenAI, the artificial intelligence research and deployment company, released a comprehensive policy proposal on April 20, 2026, titled Governance and Prosperity in the Intelligence Age. The document outlines a strategic framework for national and global governance as AI systems increasingly perform tasks previously reserved for human labor. The proposal focuses on three primary pillars: economic redistribution, infrastructure development, and international safety standards.
A central component of the OpenAI proposal is a recommendation for fundamental tax reform. The organization suggests that the United States government should transition away from taxing human labor, such as payroll and income taxes, and instead implement taxes on capital and land. OpenAI proposes the creation of the American Equity Fund, a sovereign wealth fund that would be capitalized by a 2.5 percent annual tax on the market value of private companies above a certain size, as well as a tax on land value. The fund would distribute annual dividends directly to all adult citizens. This mechanism is intended to ensure that the financial gains from AI-driven productivity are distributed across the population.
To address the risk of AI-related job loss, the policy paper outlines a National Transition Strategy. This includes a proposed $50 billion annual investment in vocational training and reskilling programs. The document also calls for the establishment of Job Displacement Insurance, which would provide temporary financial support and career counseling for workers in industries heavily impacted by automation. Anna Makanju, OpenAI’s Vice President of Global Affairs, stated in the release that the policy aims to provide a safety net that moves at the speed of technological change.
The proposal also emphasizes the need for massive infrastructure investment to support the computational demands of the intelligence age. OpenAI recommends the creation of AI Economic Zones to expedite the construction of data centers and carbon-free energy sources. Specifically, the organization calls for a public-private partnership to invest $200 billion in the modernization of the national electrical grid and the deployment of small modular nuclear reactors. According to the report, these investments are necessary to maintain domestic leadership in AI development and ensure energy security.
Finally, OpenAI advocates for the establishment of a Global AI Safety and Standards Board. This international body would be responsible for setting safety protocols for the most advanced AI models and would have the authority to audit compute resources to ensure compliance. The proposal suggests that such oversight is necessary to prevent the misuse of AI and to manage the risks associated with highly autonomous systems. The document concludes by urging policymakers to begin legislative discussions on these reforms immediately.