Musk and Anthropic pledge share giveaways amid AI safety concerns

Elon Musk has announced that SpaceX will give one of its shares to every child in the United States next year, a move that follows a similar pledge by artificial-intelligence company Anthropic to allocate a portion of its equity to a public-benefit fund. The announcements come as the AI sector faces heightened scrutiny over safety risks and the potential impact of advanced models on society and employment.

Musk’s statement, posted on social media, said: “Next year, I will give one of my SpaceX shares to every kid in America. This will be the first of many.” The billionaire did not disclose how the shares would be distributed or the exact number of shares involved. SpaceX, which owns the AI venture xAI, set a record for the largest initial public offering in history in June, raising $85.7 bn.

Anthropic’s commitment involves donating 5 % of its shares to a fund that will make public-good donations. The company has also indicated that an additional 2 % of its shares could be added to the fund at the discretion of its board. The firm clarified that the shares in the Public Benefit Fund would not be used for lobbying or political contributions in the United States or abroad. In the three months to the end of September, Anthropic reported a 45 % revenue increase, reaching $16.8 bn.

The AI industry is under intense scrutiny as experts warn that rapid progress could threaten jobs and safety. Research from the International Monetary Fund in 2024 projected that almost 40 % of global jobs could be affected by AI, with the figure rising to 60 % in advanced economies. The concerns are echoed by former Anthropic employee Jacob Coxon, who resigned after expressing fear that unchecked AI development could pose existential risks.

Dario Amodei, Anthropic’s former head, has called for a slowdown in AI development, a stance that has also been supported by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Musk himself. Both leaders have advocated for industry-wide deceleration, regulation, and independent monitoring of AI model development.

In a separate development, former U.S. President Donald Trump and the heads of major AI firms signed a “morally binding” document that obligates them to ensure the safety of their technologies. Trump has repeatedly rejected legislation aimed at regulating AI, despite ongoing debates about the technology’s risks. He has appointed Jay Clayton, director of national intelligence, to lead a new AI taskforce that will coordinate government engagement with consumers, companies, and religious organizations.

The pledges by Musk and Anthropic signal a shift toward more public-oriented approaches within the AI sector. Whether these gestures will translate into meaningful safeguards or simply serve as public relations moves remains to be seen. As the industry continues to evolve, founders, operators, and investors will need to monitor how regulatory frameworks and corporate commitments intersect to shape the future of artificial intelligence.