Overview
- RAISE US launched on June 25 with Gina Raimondo as CEO and Eric Holcomb as co-chair and says it has secured over $500 million toward a $1 billion target.
- Anchor partners include OpenAI Foundation, Anthropic, Amazon and Microsoft along with major banks, manufacturers and foundations that will provide funding and program support.
- The group has signed initial pilot agreements with Arkansas, Connecticut, Maryland and Utah to test tools such as AI-powered career navigation, wage insurance and short-time compensation.
- Critics and observers warn the effort still lacks clear accountability measures and independent evaluation given that many funders are the same companies driving AI adoption.
- The initiative responds to rising estimates that AI will reshape large numbers of jobs and aims to use state ‘laboratories’ to prove what workforce policies and employer incentives work before seeking broader adoption.