It seems to me that you are doing the most important work you could be doing right now. I am not an expert on AI, and I’m terrible at policy work. What’s the most important thing I can be doing to help?
Background: my MP doesn’t seem to care about messages I send her, sometimes her team doesn’t even send more than an automated response, sometimes they send a message which is understanding but carefully makes no commitments to any actual changes, and might itself be LLM generated or templated. I occasionally attend a protest but I’m pessimistic about the effectiveness of protests. It feels like people have become desensitised to them. I still go.
Many weeks late, but I thought I should respond, since no one else did:
Your MP might not care if one person sends messages, but in aggregate, many people regularly calling and sending messages (e.g. once a week) will register for them over time, especially as salience increases. You can also write letters to newspaper editors, and donate to organizations that are fighting AI x-risk via local organizing and lobbying.
There is a lot that everyone can do, be those actions big or small!
I personally use Microcommit, and I am a longtime volunteer in the PauseAI movement. I’ve learned that willingness to try and perseverance in trying are way more valuable than specialized expertise. (Unless you can find the people who have both!)
It seems to me that you are doing the most important work you could be doing right now.
I am not an expert on AI, and I’m terrible at policy work. What’s the most important thing I can be doing to help?
Background: my MP doesn’t seem to care about messages I send her, sometimes her team doesn’t even send more than an automated response, sometimes they send a message which is understanding but carefully makes no commitments to any actual changes, and might itself be LLM generated or templated.
I occasionally attend a protest but I’m pessimistic about the effectiveness of protests. It feels like people have become desensitised to them. I still go.
Many weeks late, but I thought I should respond, since no one else did:
Your MP might not care if one person sends messages, but in aggregate, many people regularly calling and sending messages (e.g. once a week) will register for them over time, especially as salience increases. You can also write letters to newspaper editors, and donate to organizations that are fighting AI x-risk via local organizing and lobbying.
You can also join a local chapter of ControlAI or PauseAI, or join the Torchbearer Community, or join Microcommit.
There is a lot that everyone can do, be those actions big or small!
I personally use Microcommit, and I am a longtime volunteer in the PauseAI movement. I’ve learned that willingness to try and perseverance in trying are way more valuable than specialized expertise. (Unless you can find the people who have both!)