Artificial intelligence company Anthropic announced Wednesday a $200 million commitment to study how AI technology affects jobs and economic conditions, adding its voice to industry discussions about protecting workers from technological disruption.
The company, which developed the Claude chatbot, paired the funding announcement with policy recommendations from CEO and co-founder Dario Amodei, who published detailed thoughts on his personal website about government assistance for people economically affected by AI. According to Amodei, artificial intelligence may cause more significant and longer-lasting workplace disruptions than earlier technological changes.
“The key challenge in such a world won’t be incentivizing growth, but finding a way for everyone to share in the benefits,” Amodei wrote.
This development follows competitor OpenAI’s Monday announcement of objectives including making sure technological benefits are “widely shared.” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently held discussions with Sen. Bernie Sanders about allowing public ownership stakes in AI companies like OpenAI, potentially using company shares to establish a public wealth fund distributing profits from major AI corporations.
During Wednesday’s Oval Office session, President Donald Trump informed reporters he plans upcoming meetings with top AI company executives to explore “giving back” to citizens.
“We’re talking about giving back something to the public, and if we do that, the public will become very rich,” Trump said. “I think they’ll do that, and I think it’ll make it very popular.”
Amodei explained in his essay that he discusses job displacement not because he wants to be a “prophet of doom” but to give “both policymakers and the private sector to have the best chance to adapt and respond.” His suggestions include improved data gathering to monitor AI-related job losses, employment-focused policy incentives to minimize displacement, and “mechanisms such as universal basic income” if job losses permanently reduce labor demand.
Such universal basic income programs could receive funding through taxes on “relevant companies” or increased capital gains taxes, according to Amodei’s writing.
Limited information was released Wednesday regarding Anthropic’s $200 million pledge, though the company indicated the money will support an Economic Futures Research Fund backing research studies and “program evaluation” of promising public policies. Additionally, the company plans a $150 million national fellowship initiative designed to help early-career workers “extend the benefits of AI to communities across America.”
Both Anthropic and OpenAI recently revealed plans for initial public stock offerings, joining Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which markets itself as an AI-centered space enterprise while preparing for public trading.
Anthropic’s Wednesday economic policy framework provided guidance for potential U.S. government responses to three levels of AI-caused economic disruption: scenarios where national unemployment hits 5%, 10%, and an undefined “unprecedented” level. Last week’s unemployment data showed a 4.3% rate.
For the “unprecedented” situation, the company suggested more lasting support measures would be required, listing various methods to generate and distribute revenue broadly, such as basic income, sovereign wealth approaches, and equity-sharing systems. This would represent “novel economic territory,” according to the company.
The company’s recommendations also included multiple suggestions for addressing safety and security concerns. Anthropic has built its reputation on safety emphasis and developing dependable, “steerable” AI systems, with Amodei and fellow co-founders leaving OpenAI to establish the new company in 2021.
