Musk pledges SpaceX shares to US kids; Anthropic sets up public benefit fund

The move follows a similar commitment by Anthropic, which stated it will allocate 5% of its company shares to a "public benefit fund." Anthropic officials indicated that this fund could be used for charitable donations or to support specific populations affected by AI-driven labor market changes. The company is currently preparing for an initial public offering that analysts value at over $1 trillion. Musk responded to Anthropic’s announcement by suggesting they should distribute shares directly to the public rather than through a fund.

These pledges occur amid growing public concern over AI’s impact on employment and inequality. An Associated Press poll found that 64% of U.S. adults believe AI is developing too fast, while a separate NBC News survey showed 70% of Americans are more worried than excited about the technology. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has previously predicted that 50% of white-collar work could be eliminated by the end of the decade. Critics note that Musk has made similar bold promises in the past, such as his failed 2018 attempt to take Tesla private, which did not materialize.