OpenAI has a new plan to replace UBI with a Soverign AI Wealth Fund
OpenAI wants a public "AI wealth fund" instead of Universal Basic Income.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2026) 'OpenAI has a new plan to replace UBI with a Soverign AI Wealth Fund', 311 Institute, 4 June. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/openai-has-a-new-plan-to-replace-ubi-with-a-soverign-ai-wealth-fund/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
As Artificial Intelligence (AI) companies warn of mass automation and the end of work as we know it, ChatGPT maker OpenAI has published a outlining its vision of who should call the shots once Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) systems go online.
Beneath the paper’s flowery rhetoric is something familiar: a powerful corporation arguing that the best way to provide for the poorest people in the world is to let the richest do whatever they want.
The paper starts off by warning - - that superintelligent AI could concentrate wealth among a small number of companies and individuals. Its solution to this problem, at a time when nearly already struggle with hunger, is a “public wealth fund,” which would be a program that provides “every citizen” with a “stake in AI-driven economic growth.”
Instead of expanding tested programs like a Universal Basic Income (UBI) or , in other words, OpenAI’s proposal is to hitch the public’s wellbeing to the boom-and-bust cycles of the tech industry.
“Policymakers and AI companies should work together to determine how to best seed the fund, which could invest in diversified, long-term assets that capture growth in both AI companies and the broader set of firms adopting and deploying AI,” the paper suggests. “Returns from the fund could be distributed directly to citizens, allowing more people to participate directly in the upside of AI-driven growth, regardless of their starting wealth or access to capital.”
Of course, in a market economy constant growth isn’t guaranteed, even if we do somehow achieve superintelligence. What happens if the tech companies suddenly post a bad quarter? What if our incredible AI system decides to take over Wall Street? Or Capitalism itself dies?
What workers need isn’t a wealth fund indexed to tech industry profits. They need universal healthcare, access to fresh food, and housing that isn’t tied to the ebbs and flows of the stock market. Unlike AI superintelligence, this isn’t a utopian fantasy. It’s the baseline that most wealthy democracies already provide - no AI required.
FAQ
How is OpenAI's wealth fund different from Universal Basic Income?
UBI pays people a guaranteed regular income; OpenAI's fund would instead invest in AI and other companies and pass returns to citizens - so payouts would rise and fall with market performance, which critics say is far less secure than guaranteed healthcare, food and housing.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 4 June 2026. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2026). OpenAI has a new plan to replace UBI with a Soverign AI Wealth Fund. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/openai-has-a-new-plan-to-replace-ubi-with-a-soverign-ai-wealth-fund/
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