The OpenAI Foundation is unveiling the first class of recipients from its $50 million People-First Artificial Intelligence (AI) Fund, which was publicly launched in September.
By the end of the year, the foundation will have given $40.5 million in unrestricted grants to these 208 nonprofits nationwide and will announce $9.5 million in grants within months, it said in a Wednesday (Dec. 3) press release.
The OpenAI Foundation has an equity stake in OpenAI Group valued at approximately $130 billion, making it “among the most well-capitalized philanthropic organizations in the world,” according to its website.
Its People-First AI Fund is investing in nonprofits “that are helping to empower local communities, and extend the promise of AI,” or so said a release.
The work the fund supports includes AI literacy and public understanding, community innovation, and economic opportunity, according to the release. The second wave of grants will be concentrated on existing initiatives that are driving “transformative AI work” in areas that can scale and create durable public benefit.
The first grant recipients of the fund were selected from nearly 3,000 applicants, according to the release. That includes national networks for news literacy and veteran support, faith-based networks, rural capacity-building organizations, native-led media efforts, and STEM education programs, according to the release.
“The People-First AI Fund is part of our commitment to back a set of organizations working on a diversity of initiatives that together can create opportunity for everyone,” said Bret Taylor, Chairperson of the OpenAI Foundation Board, in the release. “We are honored to support this initial group of grantees and carry on the work that is mission-driven, responsive to the very community it serves.
OpenAI said in July that it was forming an initial $50 million fund to help nonprofit and community organizations. It said it hoped to partner with others to apply AI to fields such as education, economic opportunity, community organization, and health care.
In September, the organization said that it was accepting applications for the first round of grants through Oct. 8. “This Fund is an early step in a bigger vision: to make sure the Intelligence Age is defined by listening, learning and building with — not for — communities,” it said at the time in a press release. “We are excited to work with our grant partners and learn from the strategies they take.”
