OpenAI and other AI companies may face government equity stakes: Is the purely private-sector AI era coming to an end?

OpenAI has reportedly discussed selling 5% equity to the US government; the author argues that by equity, subsidies, and compute allocation, AI nationalization has already begun. India's IndiaAI Mission may receive a small equity stake in Sarvam AI through public support, and the EU, UK, Gulf states, and China are also advancing similar paths. The author warns that governments acting simultaneously as shareholders, customers, regulators, and competition authorities create conflicts of interest, and public equity stakes should not come with exemptions from antitrust or model safety regulation.