A decade ago, Ryan Carrier watched as AI systems began to spin out of control: Facebook's algorithms shook US elections, a Microsoft chatbot said the Holocaust was “made up,” and Tesla’s Autopilot killed its first driver. “There was no governance, oversight, or accountability,” Carrier told WIRED. He went on to found ForHumanity, a nonprofit developing tools for auditing AI systems. But the organization has raised only hundreds of thousands of dollars since 2016 and remains a minor player. That could soon change, as ForHumanity is among many nonprofits around the world eager to claim a slice of what is widely anticipated to be the largest wave of philanthropy in decades.
The Coming Philanthropy Wave
Two nearly trillion-dollar AI companies, ChatGPT developer OpenAI and Claude creator Anthropic, are expected to go public soon, according to WIRED. The IPOs would make hundreds of current and former employees ultrawealthy. Some of them are aligned with a philosophy known as effective altruism, which encourages making impactful donations sooner rather than later. Anthropic’s seven founders have pledged to donate 80 percent of their wealth, and the company has agreed to match employee donations up to a certain limit. Rough estimates by a tech industry insider suggest that Anthropic's IPO, which could happen in September, may result in $15 billion a year in additional philanthropic giving alone—enough to boost total US giving by about 2.5 percent annually, equivalent to adding four Bill Gateses.
Nonprofits Gearing Up
WIRED spoke with 18 nonprofits and approached dozens more. None admitted to sending cold pitches—a tactic that consultant Jack Lewars wrote on his blog “has next to no chance of working.” Instead, organizations are ramping up hiring, training, marketing, and automation to position themselves to attract massive sums. One job posting at an education nonprofit even calls out building relationships at Anthropic as a priority. Christine Peterson, cofounder of the grantmaking group Foresight Institute, which claims to have funding from Anthropic employees, told WIRED: “Everybody’s going to go after these funds. It’s going to be a wild ride.”
The Inside Track
ForHumanity’s Carrier says he is focusing more on the work than on fundraising but recognizes this may be a moment to shift. He has begun wondering how to get into IPO soirees in San Francisco. “I just have to get in that room,” Carrier said. Bo Young Lee, CEO of the nonprofit AI4ALL, says she is attending more events, putting out more research, and asking board members—such as AI scientist Fei-Fei Li—to introduce her to employees at the AI labs. AI4ALL trains young adults across the US how to develop their own AI models.
Challenges and Competition
All that money is far from guaranteed. IPOs may get delayed or go poorly, leaving employees clinging to their wealth. Industry observers are also concerned that a paralyzing number of charitable options and natural fickleness could prompt workers to keep more for themselves than anticipated. Jack Lewars, who advised 13 ultrarich tech and finance workers on charitable giving last year, says he’s heard that employees at the AI labs are receiving as many as 20 unsolicited emails a week from groups seeking donations.
| Organization | Focus Area | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ForHumanity | AI auditing | Founded 2016, raised hundreds of thousands |
| Foresight Institute | Grantmaking | Claims funding from Anthropic employees |
| AI4ALL | AI education | Trains young adults; CEO Bo Young Lee |
Anthropic declined to comment on the total amount its employees have set aside to donate and the organizations that may benefit. The upcoming IPOs represent a potential windfall for nonprofits, but they face intense competition and uncertainty in turning pledges into actual donations.
Sources:
