Ing. Calogero Bono
Sam Altman is back with his proposal: a $300 stake in OpenAI for every American — a universal dividend from artificial intelligence wealth. Meanwhile, the US Treasury warns that AI concentrates economic power and creates systemic risks.
The idea sounds generous: OpenAI is worth billions, so why not spread the wealth? Altman reportedly discussed giving citizens equity through a sovereign fund. But the real question is: who controls the technology?
For Europe — and Italy — this is a wake-up call. Even if OpenAI becomes partially public, governance stays in San Francisco. Data, algorithms, strategic decisions: all offshore. Europeans would be passive shareholders in an economy we don't steer.
Our position is clear: a dividend is not freedom
Here at Meteora Web, we see it every day. A business leasing its website on a lifetime subscription, or using a SaaS with no data control, is already paying a “dividend” to a third party — for nothing in return. Altman’s proposal is the same on a continental scale: they give us crumbs while keeping the helm.
Italy’s SME fabric cannot afford to be a passive AI consumer. We built proprietary platforms for social media management and e-commerce because owning your stack beats renting it. The same applies to AI: train local developers, invest in open source, back projects like Mistral or LEIA. Don't settle for free tokens.
And security? The Treasury warns: centralized AI is a systemic risk. Who guarantees OpenAI won't change the rules tomorrow? It's like when an SSL certificate renewal broke — without automation, you're offline. Digital autonomy is not optional; it’s an economic necessity.
Here's what to do. If you're an Italian entrepreneur: demand control over your data and tools. Don't accept black-box AI solutions. Ask: who owns the model? Can I train it on my data? Where does my information go? Without clear answers, you're buying a ticket to dependency.
For Europe: we need an AI Act that's not just bureaucracy but fosters European tech ownership. Tax breaks for open-source model developers, funds for Italian AI startups, national cloud infrastructure. Otherwise, in ten years we'll be celebrating symbolic $300 dividends while billions flow to San Francisco.
