Anthropic, Microsoft, OpenAI and Amazon join hands to help prepare Americans for AI at workplaces

Anthropic, Microsoft, OpenAI and Amazon have joined forces as anchor partners in Raise US, a new non-profit aiming to help Americans adapt to the workplace disruptions brought by artificial intelligence. The organization plans to raise $1 billion to build a national platform advising governors on workforce strategies, with $500 million already raised, according to Business Insider. Former Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, who is leading the effort, said: “America has a technology strategy for leading the global AI competition. It does not yet have a people strategy — and we cannot lead without one.” Raise US is partnering initially with Arkansas, Connecticut, Maryland, and Utah, representing both Republican and Democratic-led states. The nonprofit will pilot workforce models directly with state governments to accelerate adoption.State-level pilots* Arkansas: Launching Arkansas LAUNCH, an AI-powered career navigation platform connecting students and job seekers to personalized learning and employer-linked pathways.* Maryland: Expanding service-years for recent high school graduates into healthcare and education fields.* Utah: Exploring workforce strategies amid backlash over AI data center expansion, including scaled-back projects by investor Kevin O’Leary.Raise US also plans to test policies such as short-time compensation and wage insurance to cushion workers against disruption.The advisory board includes figures from business, politics, labor, and philanthropy: Laurene Powell Jobs, Steve Schwarzman, Jim DeMare, Samuel Palmisano, Paul Ryan, Liz Shuler, and economist Raj Chetty. Former Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb and Greylock partner David Sze will also help lead the initiative.Amazon, Google and Microsoft agree Anthropic is ahead but why they are not botheredRecently, the world’s largest technology giants – Amazon, Google, and Microsoft – have acknowledged that artificial intelligence (AI) startup Anthropic has captured the lead in developing “frontier” AI models, particularly in advanced coding and enterprise software. However, top executives from these companies have said that they are not concerned because they rely on specialised foundations and distinct development timelines to close the competitive gap.Amazon became the latest company to accept that Anthropic models are better at coding. Amazon’s top artificial intelligence executive, Peter DeSantis, admitted that the company's current models have lagged behind frontrunners OpenAI and Anthropic when handling the largest, most demanding workloads.DeSantis, who heads Amazon’s semiconductor, AI, and quantum efforts, explained that the company has taken a deliberate approach to establishing its core data, architecture and infrastructure. He stated that he hopes the company will be fully equipped to compete on frontier models in the coming year.Get the latest technology news and updates. Download the TOI App.