
Funders commit $1b toward developing ai tools for frontline workers
'The solutions that we're investing in, the hundreds of entrepreneurs that are going to bring forward solutions that incorporate leading edge technologies, are going to do it by coming alongside people who are living through some of the struggles in the economy,' said Brian Hooks, CEO of Stand Together, a nonprofit started by Kansas-based billionaire Charles Koch. The other funders include hedge fund founder John Overdeck and Valhalla Foundation, which was started by Inuit cofounder Steve Cook and his wife, Signe Ostby. Ballmer Group is the philanthropy of former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and his wife, Connie. The funders declined to reveal the exact financial commitments made by each of the contributors. The point of investing in these AI tools is to spur economic mobility, a focus all the funders share, they said.
The funders believe there are many ideas for how AI technologies could help match people with resources after a disaster or an eviction, for example, or help a parole officer close out more cases for people who have met all of the criteria but are waiting for the paperwork to be processed. 'As we traded notes on where we were making investments and where we saw broader gaps in the sector, it was readily apparent that there was a real opportunity to come together as a group of cofunders and cofounders to establish a new kind of investment organization,' said Kevin Bromer, who leads the technology and data strategy at Ballmer Group. He will also serve as a member on NextLadder's board, which will include three independent board members and representatives from the other funders. NextLadder will be led by Ryan Rippel, who previously directed the Gates Foundation's economic mobility portfolio. The funder group has not yet determined if NextLadder will incorporate as a nonprofit or a for profit organization, but said any returns they make from investments will go back into funding new initiatives.
NextLadder will partner with AI company Anthropic, which will offer technical expertise and access to its technologies to the nonprofits and companies it invests in. Anthropic has committed around $1.5 million annually to the partnership, said Elizabeth Kelly, its head of beneficial deployments, which is a team that focuses on giving back to society. 'We want to hand-hold grantees through their use of Claude with the same care and commitment we provide to our largest enterprise customers,' Kelly said, referencing Anthropic's large language model.
Hooks of Stand Together said philanthropy can reduce the riskiness of these types of investments and offer organizations more time to prove out their ideas. 'If we're successful, this will be the first capital to demonstrate what's possible,' Hooks said. Researchers like those at the Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance in humanitarian action have studied some of the risks associated with using AI tools when interacting with sensitive populations or handling high-stakes interactions, for example, in humanitarian contexts. They recommend assessing whether AI is the best tool to solve the problem and crucially if it works reliably and accurately enough in high-risk settings. They also recommend assessing tools for bias, considering privacy protections and weighing the cost of potential dependence on a specific provider. The National Institute of Standards and Technology also emphasizes that trustworthy AI systems should be accountable to users and that it should be possible to explain or trace how a tool arrived at a certain conclusion or decision.
Hooks emphasized that any AI tools NextLadder invests in will be shaped by the needs and feedback of these frontline workers. 'Tools that don't work for them won't succeed,' he said. Even with the potential risks of AI tools, he said it's imperative that groups that are struggling to move up the economic ladder have access to new technologies. 'The idea that we would deprive those who are struggling in our country from the benefits of the leading edge solutions is unacceptable,' Hooks said.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Al Arabiya
40 minutes ago
- Al Arabiya
Trump says EU and US have ‘reached a deal' on trade
US President Donald Trump said Sunday that he had reached a trade agreement with European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen. 'We have reached a deal. It's a good deal for everybody,' Trump told reporters after talks with von der Leyen at his golf resort in Turnberry, Scotland. The EU chief also hailed it as a 'good deal.'


Al Arabiya
3 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Minkah Fitzpatrick Gets a $16.245 Million Signing Bonus in His Restructured Dolphins Deal
Minkah Fitzpatrick and the Miami Dolphins agreed Sunday to a restructured contract that adds a $16.245 million signing bonus to the All-Pro safety's deal. Agent Drew Rosenhaus confirmed the restructured deal, which was first reported by ESPN. The Dolphins acquired Fitzpatrick in a trade with the Steelers last month that sent All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith to Pittsburgh. Fitzpatrick, who became one of the top safeties in the NFL with the Steelers, returned to the team that drafted him 11th overall in 2018 and traded him away at his request in 2019. There previously was no guaranteed money left on Fitzpatrick's contract that runs through 2026. No years were added, but Rosenhaus said they're seeking a multiyear extension. The Dolphins cleared $11 million in cap space in the restructured deal by converting part of Fitzpatrick's salary to a bonus, according to NFL Network. Fitzpatrick had $2 million of his 2026 salary moved up to this coming season. He is now due $17.5 million in 2025 and $15.6 million in 2026. Fitzpatrick had signed a four-year extension with the Steelers in 2022 that made him the highest-paid safety in the NFL at the time and gave him $36 million in guarantees.


Al Arabiya
12 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
US business delegation to visit China, SCMP says
A high-level delegation from the US-China Business Council will visit China this week and is expected to meet senior Chinese officials, the South China Morning Post reported on Sunday, citing two sources familiar with the matter.