SpaceX, Anthropic plan to share wealth with the public amid concern AI could trigger job losses

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Set us as preferred Two artificial intelligence leaders have said they are ready to share some of the wealth the new technology is generating with the public.Amid growing anxiety that AI could replace people in many jobs, leaders at Anthropic and SpaceX suggested their companies were ready to set aside billions of the success their technology is generating for children and affected people.Anthropic, the maker of the Claude chatbot, said Sunday that it would put 5% of its shares into a new Anthropic Public Benefit Fund, pending approval from stockholders.

Rather than a conventional nonprofit, the fund will be a company-owned limited liability corporation, a setup that Anthropic says allows different kinds of giving.“We are instead directing that equity to the public benefit,” the company’s statement said.The fund could make large gifts to nonprofits or send money directly to “specific populations,” the company said.

It added that none of the money would be used for lobbying or political donations.The company pointed to job losses from artificial intelligence as one issue it may tackle.It has already set aside $200 million to study AI’s effect on workers, and said the scale of the technology’s progress may call for “bolder approaches.”Counting earlier pledges by its founders and employees, Anthropic said about a fifth of its stock will be directed to public benefit, with more possible if it hits valuation targets.

The company has not yet laid out how the fund will be governed.SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk responded to Anthropic’s announcement in an X post, saying: “I recommend giving the shares directly to the public,” later adding, “This is what I will be doing.”Musk said in a brief X post Monday that he plans to hand over a share of SpaceX stock to “every kid in America” next year.“Givin...