RAISE US, a nonpartisan initiative led by former U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and former Indiana Republican governor Eric Holcomb, aims to help American workers adapt to economic changes driven by artificial intelligence. Raimondo will serve as the chief executive of the organization.
Backers and funding
The effort has attracted support from major AI and technology-related organizations, including the OpenAI Foundation and Anthropic, as well as corporate donors such as Bank of America and Amazon. According to details shared with Semafor, donors have provided more than $500 million to date.
Pilot programs with states
As an initial step, RAISE US is partnering with both red and blue states — Arkansas, Connecticut, Maryland and Utah — to pilot programs that support workers during job transitions, encourage companies to retrain and redeploy employees, and provide effective training for jobs in the AI economy.
The project’s central goal is to leverage private capital to incentivize companies to retrain and redeploy workers; support people in transition between jobs; and develop training that prepares workers for AI-era roles. In an interview with Semafor, Raimondo said the initiative seeks to offer a purposeful, intentional plan for America’s workforce.
Engagement with the federal government and across parties
Raimondo said RAISE US has been speaking with officials in the Trump administration as well, noting meetings with Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling. She described frequent outreach from senators, members of Congress and governors from both parties, as well as CEOs across industries asking how to respond to AI-driven change.
Raimondo said she is excited about AI’s potential but concerned that without deliberate planning many workers could be left behind. She also argued there is a limited window of time before AI implementation produces broad organizational changes that might materially affect labor markets, giving some time to design interventions.
Public concerns and social acceptance
Raimondo noted growing public opposition to AI and data centers and said these anxieties influence RAISE US’s work. She suggested much of the public anxiety stems from worries about job security, which, in her view, heightens the urgency of the initiative.
Government stakes and private capital
Speaking from her experience as a former governor and cabinet official rather than as a representative of RAISE US, Raimondo said she is uncomfortable with the idea of government ownership stakes in major companies. She expressed reservations about government equity in firms, citing a preference for private capital funding private enterprise with limited government interference.
Context within broader policy debates
The RAISE US initiative represents a private-sector-led approach to workforce transition as AI adoption accelerates. Its launch comes amid broader discussions about possible government equity stakes in AI companies and reports of companies citing AI as a factor in layoffs.
Raimondo emphasized that RAISE US intends to pursue practical, bipartisan solutions that work with government where appropriate but rely on private investment to prepare the workforce for the AI era.
