RAISE US Launches With $500M+ to Retrain Workers Displaced by AI — OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft, Amazon Back It

Summary: The AI industry's four largest US labs — OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft, and Amazon — have jointly backed a new $1 billion workforce-retraining nonprofit to address the labor disruption they're helping to cause.

Key Facts

• RAISE US launched June 25, 2026 with $500M+ secured against a $1B target
• Co-led by Gina Raimondo (former US Commerce Secretary) and Eric Holcomb (former Indiana Governor)
• Anchor backers: OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft, Amazon; broader coalition includes Bank of America, IBM, Mastercard, Cisco, Eli Lilly, and Workday
• Foundation partners: Rockefeller, Ford, and Walton foundations supply philanthropic cover
• Programs include worker retraining, startup accelerators for displaced workers, apprenticeships, and AI-resilient career pathways for high school graduates
• Initial state partners: Arkansas, Connecticut, Maryland, and Utah

Why It Matters

This marks the first time the major US AI labs have jointly committed capital to address AI-driven labor displacement — a shift from individual pledges (Anthropic's $150M Claude Corps, OpenAI's job transition programs) to a coordinated industry effort. Led by a former cabinet official who helped shape US AI policy, RAISE US frames retraining as a shared industry responsibility rather than a government problem. Whether the $1B goal materializes — and whether programs reach workers in time — will be a test case for whether private-sector AI governance can function without regulatory compulsion.

Read More

• Forbes: Why AI giants are investing $500M — Forbes
• Fast Company: Raimondo's $500M plan — Fast Company
• Axios: Anthropic's labor market response — Axios