Elon Musk and Anthropic have announced major plans to distribute wealth from their AI-linked businesses as the technology industry faces growing scrutiny over its impact on society, jobs and humanity.
Elon Musk and artificial intelligence company Anthropic have pledged major financial giveaways as the technology industry faces growing pressure over the potential impact of AI on jobs, society and humanity.
The world’s richest man said on Monday (19.10.26) that he would give one share in his rocket company SpaceX to every child in the United States next year, although he has not yet explained how the scheme would work.
Musk said in a social media post: “Next year, I will give one of my SpaceX shares to every kid in America. This will be the first of many.”
His announcement followed Anthropic’s decision to commit five per cent of its shares to a new fund intended to support the “public good”.
The Claude developer said the Public Benefit Fund would not use its shares for lobbying or political donations in the US or overseas.
Its board could also allocate another two per cent of the company to the fund.
Anthropic is preparing for a potential stock market listing that could value the company at more than $1 trillion (£750 billion).
SpaceX recently set a record for the largest initial public offering, raising $85.7 billion.
The pledges come as AI companies face increasing scrutiny over the technology’s potential consequences.
Firms around the world have cut thousands of jobs as businesses introduce AI systems, while researchers have warned that increasingly capable models could pose wider risks.
A 2024 study by the International Monetary Fund estimated that almost 40 per cent of jobs globally could be affected by AI, rising to around 60 per cent in advanced economies.
Anthropic has itself faced pressure over the pace of AI development.
In September, former researcher Jacob Coxon said people working in the field were “genuinely frightened” about the speed of progress and its implications for humanity.
He said after leaving the company: “I believe that if we don’t slow down at the current rate of progress, there is a strong chance that we could all die in the immediate future.”
Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei has previously called for AI development to slow, while Musk and OpenAI boss Sam Altman have backed greater regulation and independent monitoring.
The financial pledges also come amid a broader debate about who should benefit from the enormous wealth AI could generate.
US President Donald Trump has largely resisted calls for stronger regulation, instead backing voluntary commitments from AI companies.
He has since appointed national intelligence director Jay Clayton to lead a new AI taskforce coordinating government engagement with technology companies and the public.
Elon Musk and Anthropic pledge financial giveaways as AI pressure increases
