A profile of Founders Pledge, which has recorded $4B in pledges from founders so far in 2026, as the AI industry now accounts for a third of its lifetime total (Joel Khalili/Wired)
A new generation of philanthropists made rich by artificial intelligence are preparing to give away their vast wealth.
Founders Pledge, a nonprofit founded by former DeepMind researcher Shane Silver, has seen a surge in donations from tech founders in recent years. Silver, who led the development of AlphaGo, the first AI to defeat a human champion in Go, announced he would donate all proceeds from any future sale of his company to charity. Since 2015, Founders Pledge has recorded $400 million in pledges, which has skyrocketed to $4 billion so far in 2026, accounting for a third of the AI industry's lifetime pledge total.
The organization aims to identify the best ways to deploy capital at scale to make the world better, focusing on present-day human suffering rather than future galactic issues. Founders Pledge's approach to philanthropy differs from the Giving Pledge, as it requires participants to enter into a contract, ensuring a binding commitment.
While some see this type of giving as a way to harness the profit motive for good, others argue it could be used to advance political interests or exacerbate inequalities.
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