Anthropic and Musk-backed SpaceX discuss public-sharing plans as AI fears grow

Anthropic’s plan for a public benefit fund

Los Angeles Times reports that Anthropic, the company behind the Claude chatbot, said Sunday that it plans to place 5% of its stock into a new Anthropic Public Benefit Fund if shareholders approve. The company said the fund will be a company-owned limited liability corporation rather than a traditional nonprofit, and it said that structure would allow several forms of giving.

Anthropic said in its statement, “We are instead directing that equity to the public benefit.” It said the fund could make sizable grants to nonprofits or send money directly to “specific populations.” The company also said none of the money would go to lobbying or political donations.

AI-related job concerns and Anthropic’s goals

According to Los Angeles Times, Anthropic said one possible focus of the fund is the risk of job losses from artificial intelligence. The company has already set aside $200 million to study how AI affects workers. It said the pace of AI progress may require “bolder approaches.”

Anthropic also said that, counting earlier promises made by its founders and employees, about one-fifth of its stock will be directed toward public benefit. It said additional stock could be added if valuation targets are reached. The report says the company has not yet explained how the fund will be governed.

Musk’s response and his SpaceX pledge

Los Angeles Times reports that SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk responded to Anthropic’s announcement on X by saying, “I recommend giving the shares directly to the public,” and later added, “This is what I will be doing.” In another post Monday, Musk said he plans to give a share of SpaceX stock to “every kid in America” next year.

He also wrote that giving shares, which he described as stakes in the future economy, directly to people is “the way.” Musk did not explain how he would carry out the pledge, but said it would “be the first of many.”

SpaceX valuation, Anthropic’s plans, and related examples

The article says SpaceX, based in Starbase, Texas, went public in June at $135 a share, giving it a $1.77 trillion valuation in what the report describes as the largest initial public offering ever. Using census data showing about 73 million children in the United States and SpaceX’s Monday closing price of $147.96, the report says Musk’s pledge would be worth close to $11 billion.

Los Angeles Times also reports that Anthropic is seeking to go public as soon as November, with a possible valuation of up to $2 trillion, though that estimate is uncertain.

Other precedents and wider AI debate

The report compares the new pledges with earlier examples. In 2015, Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan pledged 99% of their Facebook shares, then worth about $45 billion, to the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which was also organized as an LLC. In 2005, Google said it would commit 1% of profits and equity to its philanthropic vision through Google.org, an internal division rather than a separate foundation.

Los Angeles Times says direct gifts to children’s investment accounts have become more prominent through the federal Trump Accounts program. It reports that SpaceX president and chief operating officer Gwynne Shotwell pledged more than $320 million in SpaceX stock to children’s Trump Accounts, and that Michael and Susan Dell announced last year that they would give $6.25 billion to seed Trump Accounts for 25 million eligible children.

Public anxiety over AI

The article says the pledges come as Americans are increasingly concerned about AI’s effects on jobs and daily life. It cites a June Pew Research Center survey in which 71% of U.S. adults expected AI to mean fewer jobs over the next two decades, up from 64% in 2024, while 5% expected more jobs.

Los Angeles Times also reports that last month Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei urged the industry to slow down, an argument that drew agreement from OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Musk and other tech leaders. The debate intensified after Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon resigned in September and publicly warned about the risks of unchecked AI development.