- American companies are backing a worker retraining scheme
- AI is expected to displace millions of workers while creating new roles
- Partners promise to retrain and redeploy workers instead of simply laying them off
Many of the US' biggest firms and AI influencers, including Amazon, Anthropic, Microsoft and the OpenAI Foundation, have joined a new government scheme to help workers adapt to an AI-first future.
RAISE US is a new nonprofit designed to help workers adapt to job displacement by providing them with training opportunities and encouraging employers to retrain and redeploy existing workers.
The scheme notes that, while displacement is inevitable, 78 million net new jobs are expected to be created globally between now and 2030.
US giants join RAISE US to upskill workers for AI
This is as 50 million American workers are said to be in jobs that are vulnerable to AI displacement. RAISE US has proposed solutions like wage insurance, career support and retraining initiatives to keep human workers from losing their jobs during the transition.
"We believe this commitment to people is one of the most important investments we can make – both right now and for the workforce of the future," Amazon Chief Global Affairs & Legal Officer David Zapolsky wrote.
Although Amazon laid off around 16,000 workers earlier this year, AWS CEO Matt Garman recently confirmed organization-wide plans to hire 11,000 new grads and interns to drive AI progress internally.
Former US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and former Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb are behind the program, which has already seen more than $500 million committed to it. But RAISE US is targeting around twice that much in commitments.
"America has a technology strategy for leading the global AI competition," Raimondo said. "It does not yet have a people strategy."
Besides companies, state partnerships also form part of the scheme to retrain workers. Arkansas, Connecticut, Maryland and Utah represent the first four. The Bank of America is also a major corporate sponsor.
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