For generations, philanthropy has helped society navigate periods of profound change by funding experimentation, supporting nonprofit organizations closest to communities, and creating the conditions for ideas to scale.

AI is the next major test of that role.

Much of the conversation right now is understandably focused on capacity building and navigating the immediate risks and harms of AI. That work matters deeply…AND there is another important role for philanthropy in this moment: helping society prepare for the transitions that are still taking shape.

I recently listened to Ezra Klein’s interview with Alex Bores, one of the more thoughtful voices on AI policy right now. One point in particular stuck with me. Reflecting on previous technological transitions, he noted that societies navigated them best when people had enough power and agency to shape how technology was implemented, rather than simply absorbing its consequences.

That feels like an important framing for philanthropy.

I’ve been thinking about what it means to be an anticipatory philanthropist in this moment.

An anticipatory philanthropist does not wait until disruption is fully visible and politically urgent before acting. They help society prepare early. They fund experiments before there is consensus. They create space for nonprofit and community leaders to help shape the future, rather than simply respond to it.

What would it look like to invest now in the kinds of institutions, policies, and community infrastructure that could help people navigate an AI-enabled economy with more stability, dignity, and agency?

What happens if we begin funding those experiments before the disruption fully arrives?

This could include:

• New approaches to workforce transition and economic security
• Community-based models for connection and belonging
• Efforts to rethink how people find meaning and purpose as work changes
• Local and nonprofit-led experiments that help communities shape AI adoption on their own terms

Nonprofit organizations have an especially important role to play here. Many are deeply rooted in communities already experiencing economic and social transition. They understand the human dimensions of change in ways that are often missing from technology conversations. They know what builds trust, restores dignity, and helps people navigate uncertainty.

I also suspect this moment may require philanthropy itself to evolve. Anticipatory philanthropy requires a greater tolerance for ambiguity and experimentation. A willingness to make bets that may not pay off immediately (or at all). More transparency around what is being learned from both successes and failures. Longer time horizons. More trust in proximate leaders and nonprofit partners navigating these shifts in real time.

None of us know exactly how these transitions will unfold. But philanthropy is uniquely positioned to help society ask better questions earlier, while there is still time to shape the answers.

There is a real opportunity for the sector to engage not only with AI’s immediate implications, but with the longer-term societal questions emerging alongside it. The future is not predetermined. The choices we make now will shape how this transition unfolds, which gives me some much needed hope!