Anthropic plans fund for workers threatened by AI, Musk counters with SpaceX shares for children

Anthropic is launching a new public benefit fund that will also look into direct payments to workers at risk of losing their jobs. Elon Musk says the company should just give the shares straight to the public. Anthropic plans to put five percent of its shares into a new "Anthropic Public Benefit Fund." Shareholders still have to approve it.

Once they do, the fund will either make large donations to traditional nonprofits or explore direct payouts to "certain populations." The main focus is disruption in the job market. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has repeatedly warned about social and economic upheaval from fast-moving AI systems. The company already committed $200 million to research these labor market effects.

Given how quickly AI is advancing, "bolder approaches" may now be needed, according to the announcement. For every 50 percent the company's valuation rises above a set baseline, the fund could receive another two percent of shares. Anthropic pitches the fund as the opposite of the growth-linked stock packages tech companies usually hand their executives. The co-founders pledged 80 percent of their shares when…