{
  "id": 450598,
  "title": "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)",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/10/a-profile-of-founders-pledge-which-has-recorded-4b-in-pledges-from",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-08-10T08:20:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Techmeme",
    "slug": "techmeme",
    "url": "https://www.wired.com/story/ai-billionaires-are-pledging-their-wealth-good-or-bad/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "A new generation of philanthropists made rich by artificial intelligence are preparing to give away their vast wealth.",
  "key_points": [
    "Founders Pledge, founded by Shane Silver, has recorded $4B in pledges in 2026.",
    "AI industry accounts for a third of Founders Pledge's lifetime total.",
    "Founders Pledge focuses on present-day human suffering, unlike the Giving Pledge."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}