Trump tells TIME he calls AI “SI”, and says he “might” take government stakes in OpenAI and Anthropic

TIME published the full transcript of its 2026 interview with Donald Trump on 1 October. Eric Cortellessa and Sam Jacobs conducted it on 28 September, and a large part of it is about artificial intelligence.

Asked whether he trusts OpenAI's Sam Altman, Trump said he likes him and called the industry's leaders smart. He said he no longer uses the term AI: “I call it SI.” He said he has had dinner with “Dario”, whose views he called “much different, I think, than what is portrayed in the media.”

TIME asked whether he would consider nationalising the top frontier AI labs. Trump answered: “No, no.” He then described deals in which the United States takes a cut, including one involving a chip Nvidia is not allowed to sell. TIME asked: “Why not do that with OpenAI and Anthropic then?” Trump replied: “I might. Maybe I could do that. I have many deals like that—I do that.”

Elsewhere in the interview he was asked about polling on public opposition to data centres, and he spoke about renaming the government's AI advisory group.

These are statements in an interview, not a decision: the transcript records no plan, figure or timetable for any stake in either company. OpenAI and Anthropic are both private.

• Confirmed TIME published the transcript on 1 October; the interview was conducted on 28 September by Eric Cortellessa and Sam Jacobs. TIME
• Claimed Asked “Why not do that with OpenAI and Anthropic then?”, Trump said he might take such stakes. TIME
• Claimed Asked whether he would nationalise the top frontier AI labs, Trump said no. TIME