For example, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and wife, Wendy Schmidt, have committed hundreds of millions of dollars to artificial-intelligence grantmaking programs housed at Schmidt Futures to"accelerate the next global scientific revolution.” In addition to committing US$125mil to advance research into AI, last year the philanthropic venture announced a US$148mil program to help postdoctoral fellows apply AI to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Billionaire entrepreneur and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman is another big donor who believes AI can improve humanity and has funded research centres at Stanford University and the University of Toronto to achieve that goal. He is betting AI can positively transform areas like health care and education , he told theThe enthusiasm for AI solutions among tech billionaires is not uniform, however.
The Ford, MacArthur, and Rockefeller foundations number among several grantmakers funding nonprofits examining the harmful effects of AI. Buolamwini is continuing research on and advocacy against artificial-intelligence and facial-recognition technology through her Algorithmic Justice League, which also received at least US$1.9mil in support from the Ford, MacArthur, and Rockefeller foundations as well as from the Alfred P. Sloan and Mozilla foundations.
A significant portion of foundation giving on AI is also directed at universities studying ethical questions. The Ethics and Governance of AI Initiative, a joint project of the MIT Media Lab and Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center, received US$26mil from 2017 to 2022 from Luminate , Reid Hoffman, Knight Foundation, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.