New Nonprofit Launches $500M Initiative to Retrain Workers Displaced by AI

A Bipartisan Push for Workforce Transition

“Inaction could destabilize the country and democracy.” — Gina Raimondo, former U.S. Commerce Secretary

RAISE US, a new nonprofit with a bipartisan leadership team, has launched with more than $500 million in funding to support education and training programs for workers whose jobs are threatened by AI automation.

The organization was founded by former Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo (Democrat) and former Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (Republican), signaling a rare cross-party effort to address what many analysts describe as an impending labor crisis.

Initial programs will roll out in Arkansas, Connecticut, Maryland, and Utah, in partnership with major corporations including Amazon, Microsoft, and Bank of America.

The Scale of the Challenge

Analysts warn that AI could disrupt or eliminate millions of U.S. jobs. According to Boston Consulting Group, as many as 25 million jobs could be lost over the next five years due to automation.

RAISE US aims to pilot state-level policy solutions that help workers transition to new careers. Key strategies include:

• Connecting schools directly to employers to align training with actual job market needs
• Exploring corporate tax incentives to encourage companies to invest in retraining their own workforces

Voices Behind the Initiative

Raimondo argued that failing to act on AI-driven job displacement could have severe societal consequences. She noted that Congress is unlikely to act soon, making private and state-level efforts all the more critical.

“Good things happen when ‘have-nots’ are converted into ‘haves.’” — Eric Holcomb, former Indiana Governor

Neuroscientist Vivienne Ming offered a broader critique, stating that current education and labor policies are not built for an AI economy, which instead demands curiosity and intellectual flexibility from workers.

What Comes Next

RAISE US positions itself as a laboratory for new approaches, testing what works at the state level before potentially scaling successful models. The initial partnerships with corporate giants like Amazon, Microsoft, and Bank of America will help fund and shape programs aimed at retooling the American workforce for a rapidly changing economy.