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Bipartisan Nonprofit RAISE US Launches $500 Million Initiative to Help Workers Adapt to AI-Driven Job Changes
A new nonprofit, backed by former Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and former Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, has just announced a $500 million pledge to help U.S. workers navigate the AI‑driven job market. The organization—called RAISE US—will use the funds to pilot education and training programs in partnership with states and major employers.
RAISE US is positioned as a bipartisan effort that concentrates on state‑level initiatives rather than federal programs. The group already has agreements with officials in Arkansas, Connecticut, Maryland and Utah, and a broad coalition of companies including Amazon, Microsoft, Anthropic, the OpenAI Foundation and Bank of America. Other anchor partners are UPS, General Motors, Eli Lilly, Mastercard, AMD, Cisco and IBM. Raimondo will serve as the nonprofit’s chief executive officer.
The advisory board features a mix of political and economic leaders: former Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, investment manager Stephen Schwarzman, AFL‑CIO President Liz Shuler and economists David Autor, Erik Brynjolfsson and Raj Chetty. According to the organization’s announcement, RAISE US will test policies that could later be adopted by Congress.
The timing of the launch comes amid growing concern that AI could displace millions of U.S. workers. A 2024 analysis by the Boston Consulting Group estimated that roughly half of U.S. jobs could be reshaped by AI in the next few years, and that up to 25 million jobs might be eliminated over the next five years. Goldman Sachs released a separate estimate that a quarter of U.S. work hours could be automated by AI.
Raimondo said in an interview that “we’re talking about a certain level of unemployment that could destabilize our country and our democracy.” Holcomb added that “good things tend to happen when you convert have‑nots into haves.” The nonprofit plans to develop policies that connect schools more closely to employers so that layoffs can be replaced by new jobs with higher incomes. The group is also exploring changes to corporate taxes and other incentives to keep people working.
AI experts have warned that the current social safety net may be ill‑prepared for the speed and scale of AI‑driven changes. Neuroscientist Vivienne Ming, author of Robot‑Proof: When Machines Have All the Answers, Build Better People, said that the skills needed in an AI economy go beyond traditional trades and require curiosity and intellectual flexibility. She noted that neither the education system nor labor policies are building the foundational human capital that AI‑era work actually requires.
President Donald Trump has expressed little anxiety about AI displacing human workers. When asked about truckers, Trump said, “Right now, they’re not.” He has focused on the growth of AI data centers and power plants as drivers of hiring and overall economic growth.
RAISE US intends to use states as a laboratory for testing ideas that Congress can later adopt. Raimondo said the nonprofit will “use states as a vehicle for testing ideas that Congress can later embrace as policies.” She added that she does not expect bold federal action in the next few years but believes that successful state programs will influence federal policy.
The nonprofit’s first projects will focus on education and training programs that help workers pivot to new careers. The organization will also pilot incentive programs for employers and explore tax policy changes that could encourage companies to keep people working. The initiative is expected to launch pilot programs in the partner states in the coming months.
RAISE US represents a coordinated effort by bipartisan leaders and major industry players to address the potential workforce disruptions caused by AI. The organization’s success will be closely watched by policymakers, employers and labor advocates as the U.S. moves toward an economy in which AI plays an increasingly central role.
RAISE US is positioned as a bipartisan effort that concentrates on state‑level initiatives rather than federal programs. The group already has agreements with officials in Arkansas, Connecticut, Maryland and Utah, and a broad coalition of companies including Amazon, Microsoft, Anthropic, the OpenAI Foundation and Bank of America. Other anchor partners are UPS, General Motors, Eli Lilly, Mastercard, AMD, Cisco and IBM. Raimondo will serve as the nonprofit’s chief executive officer.
The advisory board features a mix of political and economic leaders: former Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, investment manager Stephen Schwarzman, AFL‑CIO President Liz Shuler and economists David Autor, Erik Brynjolfsson and Raj Chetty. According to the organization’s announcement, RAISE US will test policies that could later be adopted by Congress.
The timing of the launch comes amid growing concern that AI could displace millions of U.S. workers. A 2024 analysis by the Boston Consulting Group estimated that roughly half of U.S. jobs could be reshaped by AI in the next few years, and that up to 25 million jobs might be eliminated over the next five years. Goldman Sachs released a separate estimate that a quarter of U.S. work hours could be automated by AI.
Raimondo said in an interview that “we’re talking about a certain level of unemployment that could destabilize our country and our democracy.” Holcomb added that “good things tend to happen when you convert have‑nots into haves.” The nonprofit plans to develop policies that connect schools more closely to employers so that layoffs can be replaced by new jobs with higher incomes. The group is also exploring changes to corporate taxes and other incentives to keep people working.
AI experts have warned that the current social safety net may be ill‑prepared for the speed and scale of AI‑driven changes. Neuroscientist Vivienne Ming, author of Robot‑Proof: When Machines Have All the Answers, Build Better People, said that the skills needed in an AI economy go beyond traditional trades and require curiosity and intellectual flexibility. She noted that neither the education system nor labor policies are building the foundational human capital that AI‑era work actually requires.
President Donald Trump has expressed little anxiety about AI displacing human workers. When asked about truckers, Trump said, “Right now, they’re not.” He has focused on the growth of AI data centers and power plants as drivers of hiring and overall economic growth.
RAISE US intends to use states as a laboratory for testing ideas that Congress can later adopt. Raimondo said the nonprofit will “use states as a vehicle for testing ideas that Congress can later embrace as policies.” She added that she does not expect bold federal action in the next few years but believes that successful state programs will influence federal policy.
The nonprofit’s first projects will focus on education and training programs that help workers pivot to new careers. The organization will also pilot incentive programs for employers and explore tax policy changes that could encourage companies to keep people working. The initiative is expected to launch pilot programs in the partner states in the coming months.
RAISE US represents a coordinated effort by bipartisan leaders and major industry players to address the potential workforce disruptions caused by AI. The organization’s success will be closely watched by policymakers, employers and labor advocates as the U.S. moves toward an economy in which AI plays an increasingly central role.
