The Download: your stake in OpenAI, and the Treasury’s AI warning

Sam Altman is reportedly discussing giving the US government a 5% stake in OpenAI, worth roughly $320 per American household, to address concerns about AI benefiting from human work and to provide a safety net against labor market collapse. Meanwhile, a leaked Treasury report warns the AI market resembles the dotcom bubble, contradicting the administration's public optimism, and Samsung profits surged 1,800% on AI chip sales.

The Download: your stake in OpenAI, and the Treasury’s AI warning Plus: Samsung profits have jumped 1,800% on booming AI chip sales. This is today's edition of The Download https://forms.technologyreview.com/newsletters/briefing-the-download/? ga=2.179569122.736533416.1649661040-405833893.1649413289 , our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. Your family’s $300 stake in OpenAI Sam Altman’s proposal that Americans should share in the wealth created by AI is back in the spotlight, with reports that he is discussing giving the US government a 5% stake in OpenAI. At the company’s current valuation, that stake would be worth roughly $320 per American household. The idea is meant to address concerns that AI companies are benefiting from human-generated work without compensating creators, while also easing fears that AI will cause a collapse of the labor market by providing a safety net. The details, however, remain unclear. Indeed, the offer may be more powerful as a political narrative than as a policy plan. Read the full story on what the dividend proposal reveals about the future of AI https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/07/06/1140176/your-familys-300-stake-in-openai/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C . —James O'Donnell This article is from The Algorithm, our weekly AI newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Monday. The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 A leaked Treasury report compares the AI market to the dotcom bubble Which contradicts the administration's public optimism about AI. NOTUS https://www.notus.org/economy/treasury-internal-report-warning-dangers-ai-bubble + Fears that the market is overinflated are growing. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/data/ai-boom-sparks-rally-frenzy-fear-2026-06-10/ $ + And AI profits are hiding bigger risks in earnings reports. FT https://www.ft.com/content/64aa80ed-47a0-441d-8337-58874ee3f623?syn-25a6b1a6=1 $ + What even is the AI bubble? MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/12/15/1129183/what-even-is-the-ai-bubble/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C 2 Samsung profits have jumped 1,800% on booming AI chip sales It just reported its third consecutive record quarterly profit. BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1kyy8yrpxdo + But its shares slumped over fears that the AI boom will stall. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/samsung-estimates-19-fold-rise-q2-operating-profit-beating-expectations-2026-07-06/ $ + That boom has turned Samsung into a $1 trillion company. CNBC https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/06/samsung-electronics-ai-chip-rally-kospi-record-1-trillion.html 3 A US cyber agency is using Mythos to audit government code Sources say CISA is tapping Anthropic's model to search for bugs. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/world/us-cyber-agency-is-using-anthropics-mythos-audit-government-code-sources-say-2026-07-06/ $ + Agencies are using it despite Anthropic's feud with the White House. Axios https://www.axios.com/2026/04/19/nsa-anthropic-mythos-pentagon 4 Illinois’ governor has signed the nation’s strongest frontier AI law It’s designed to protect citizens from AI risks. Gizmodo https://gizmodo.com/illinois-drops-the-hammer-on-ai-companies-2000781932 + US lawmakers are clashing over AI rules. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/01/23/1131559/americas-coming-war-over-ai-regulation/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C 5 A hidden tracker in Claude Code has been exposed and removed It secretly monitored users in China. WP https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/07/06/why-anthropic-alleges-chinese-firms-are-distilling-knowledge-claude/ $ + Critics said it shows Anthropic’s willingness to surveil users. Ars Technica https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/07/anthropic-outed-for-claude-tracker-that-secretly-monitored-chinese-users/ + The company has also found a hidden “thinking” space in Claude. Axios https://www.axios.com/2026/07/06/anthropic-claude-ai-conscious 6 Russia is suspected of flying drones over Europe from a shadow fleet The flights were reportedly launched from commercial ships. Ars Technica https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/07/kremlin-suspected-of-flying-drones-over-europe-using-russian-shadow-fleet/ + Europe has a drone-filled vision for future wars. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/01/06/1129737/autonomous-warfare-europe-drones-defense-automated-kill-chains/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C 7 A controversial AI “actor” is set to star in its first feature film Tilly Norwood will debut in a comedy-drama called “Misaligned.” Variety https://variety.com/2026/film/global/ai-actor-tilly-norwood-movie-debut-misaligned-1236802325/ + A major actors union has lambasted the AI creation. NBC News https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/tilly-norwood-fully-ai-actor-blasted-actors-union-sag-aftra-devaluing-rcna234685 8 AI costs are driving US companies toward Chinese models Businesses are hunting for cheaper model alternatives. CNBC https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/07/chinese-ai-models-costs-us-openai-anthropic.html + Chinese AI labs are betting big on open source. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/04/21/1135658/china-open-source-models-ai-artificial-intelligence/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C 9 Researchers have shown quantum proofs can beat classical ones They found a problem that classical proofs can’t solve. Quanta https://www.quantamagazine.org/researchers-reveal-the-power-of-quantum-proofs-20260706/ 10 Earth will never be swallowed by the sun, according to new models But it probably won’t be much fun to live here by that point anyway Wired https://www.wired.com/story/good-news-it-turns-out-the-earth-will-never-be-swallowed-by-the-sun/ $ Quote of the day “The goal might be to make machines in our image. But what I fear is that—perhaps without even quite noticing—we remake ourselves in theirs.” —Reporter Sarah O’Connor sounds a note of caution in her new book, We Are Not Machines , the Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jul/07/we-are-not-machines-by-sarah-oconnor-review-can-dignity-at-work-survive-the-tech-revolution reports. One More Thing Adventures in the genetic time machine Adventures in the genetic time machine Eske Willerslev, a specialist in recovering DNA from old bones and objects, has made numerous breakthroughs. These include recovering the first more or less complete genome of an ancient human and 2.4-million-year-old genetic material from Greenland, revealing that today's Arctic desert was once a forest with poplar, birch, and mastodons. These findings are part of a wave of discoveries from what's being called an "ancient-DNA revolution." Beyond revealing stories of human migration and vanished ecosystems, scientists believe ancient DNA can unearth clues about modern diseases. It could even lead to a better food supply for our warming world. "And can we get that?" Willerslev asks. "Yes, I believe we can." Discover how ancient DNA could rescue the future https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/02/17/1111596/ancient-dna-genes-evolutionary-genetics/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C . —Antonio Regalado We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun, and distraction to brighten up your day. Got any ideas? Drop me a line . + Underworld’s electric set from EDC Las Vegas 2026 has been released as a full concert video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wzyC3J6-NU . + This photographic journey through global soccer culture https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/over-land-and-sea-topsafe-publication-project-220626?utm source=chatgpt.com captures the mad passion of fandom around the world. + Feeling unhinged? Me too. This playlist of gloriously intense classical music https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyOfqgtsQaM3S-VZnsYnHjQ?utm source=chatgpt.com sympathetically captures the mood. + If you’re looking for visual inspiration, this collection of graphic design archives from across the web https://wemadethis.co.uk/blog/2021/09/graphic-design-history-resources/?utm source=chatgpt.com is a goldmine. Deep Dive The Download The Download: the future of chipmaking and Anthropic’s government clash Plus: Meta is pausing an AI training program that tracks workers’ keystrokes. The Download: AI hacking beyond Mythos, and chatbots’ impact on our brains Plus: Anthropic has called for a global slowdown in AI development. The Download: keeping up with AI, and the future of IVF Plus: NASA unveiled plans for three uncrewed missions to the Moon this year. The Download: a reality check for geoengineering and the science of interoception Plus: SpaceX is now valued higher than Amazon. 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