Anthropic pledges 5% of the company to a public fund; Musk pledges SpaceX shares to kids

What happened: Anthropic announced it is giving 5% of the company to a new fund for the public, estimated at about $48 billion based on its last valuation. Stockholders still have to approve the pledge. Anthropic says about 20% of the company now goes to the public good, and its own report says beginners are now 9% of its tech hires, down from 27%. Elon Musk replied on X recommending the shares go directly to the public, then pledged that next year he will give one SpaceX share to every kid in America, calling it the first of many. Musk gave no exact details.
The claim: Anthropic frames the fund as a way to pay people directly as AI changes how jobs are created and how people work.
Austin's take: Austin calls it a net positive and a great look for both Anthropic and Musk, but would rather see the money go to education and training that helps displaced workers use AI tools, not just subsidize losses. He also floats a more dystopian read, pointing to Dario Amodei's comments about Anthropic running everything, and wonders whether this ends with Anthropic deciding who gets money. He labels that speculation and hopes the companies follow through rather than just making headlines.
Why it matters: This is one of the first big, concrete attempts by an AI company to share its gains with the public as entry-level tech hiring shrinks, and it is already pulling other billionaires in.
What to do: Treat it as a promise, not money in hand. Watch for the stockholder vote and for details on who qualifies and how payouts work.
Not confirmed yet: The $48 billion figure is an estimate, stockholders have not approved the pledge, and Musk gave no specifics on how his share giveaway would work. A future value of up to $100 billion depends on an IPO valuation.

The Loop