First, on a meta-note, since Anna was too humble to mention it herself, I want to highlight that the CFAR 2015 Winter Fundraiser will last through January 31, 2016, with every $2 donated matched by $1 from CFAR supporters. Just to be clear, for those who don’t know me, I’m not a staff person or Board member at CFAR, and am in fact the President of another organization spreading rationality and effective altruism to a broad audience, so with a somewhat distinct mission with CFAR, which targets, as Anna said, those elites who are in the strongest position to impact the world. However, I’m also a monthly donor to CFAR, and very much support the mission, and encourage you to donate to CFAR during this fundraiser, since your dollars will do a lot of good there.
Second, let me come down from meta, and speak from my CFAR donor hat. I’m curious to learn more about the target group of elites that you talk about Anna, namely those “who are most likely to actually usefully impact the world.” When I think of MIRI Summer Fellows, I totally get your point regarding AI research. But what about offering training to others such as aspiring politicians/bureaucrats who are likely to be in the position to make AI-relevant policies, and also policies that address short and medium-term existential risk in the next several of decades before the possibility of FAI becomes more tangible—existential risk like cyberwarfare, nuclear war, climate change, etc. If we can get politicians to be more sane about short, medium, and long-term existential risk, it seems like that would be a win-win scenario. What are CFAR’s thoughts on that?
If we can get politicians to be more sane about short, medium, and long-term existential risk, it seems like that would be a win-win scenario. What are CFAR’s thoughts on that?
Getting politicians to me more sane sounds awesome, but somewhat harder for us and more outside our immediate reach than getting STEM-heavy students to be more sane. I realize I said “who are most likely to actually usefully impact the world”, but I should perhaps instead have said “who have high values for the product of [likely to usefully impact the world if they think well] * [comparatively easy for us to assist in acquiring good thinking skills]”; and STEM seems to help with both of these.
Still, we are keen to have aspiring politicians, civil servants, etc. to our workshops, we’ve found financial aid for several such in the past, and we’d love it if you or others would recommend our workshops to aspiring rationalists who are interested in this path (as well as in other paths).
First, on a meta-note, since Anna was too humble to mention it herself, I want to highlight that the CFAR 2015 Winter Fundraiser will last through January 31, 2016, with every $2 donated matched by $1 from CFAR supporters. Just to be clear, for those who don’t know me, I’m not a staff person or Board member at CFAR, and am in fact the President of another organization spreading rationality and effective altruism to a broad audience, so with a somewhat distinct mission with CFAR, which targets, as Anna said, those elites who are in the strongest position to impact the world. However, I’m also a monthly donor to CFAR, and very much support the mission, and encourage you to donate to CFAR during this fundraiser, since your dollars will do a lot of good there.
Second, let me come down from meta, and speak from my CFAR donor hat. I’m curious to learn more about the target group of elites that you talk about Anna, namely those “who are most likely to actually usefully impact the world.” When I think of MIRI Summer Fellows, I totally get your point regarding AI research. But what about offering training to others such as aspiring politicians/bureaucrats who are likely to be in the position to make AI-relevant policies, and also policies that address short and medium-term existential risk in the next several of decades before the possibility of FAI becomes more tangible—existential risk like cyberwarfare, nuclear war, climate change, etc. If we can get politicians to be more sane about short, medium, and long-term existential risk, it seems like that would be a win-win scenario. What are CFAR’s thoughts on that?
Getting politicians to me more sane sounds awesome, but somewhat harder for us and more outside our immediate reach than getting STEM-heavy students to be more sane. I realize I said “who are most likely to actually usefully impact the world”, but I should perhaps instead have said “who have high values for the product of [likely to usefully impact the world if they think well] * [comparatively easy for us to assist in acquiring good thinking skills]”; and STEM seems to help with both of these.
Still, we are keen to have aspiring politicians, civil servants, etc. to our workshops, we’ve found financial aid for several such in the past, and we’d love it if you or others would recommend our workshops to aspiring rationalists who are interested in this path (as well as in other paths).
Anna, thanks for clarifying about impacting the world, I think it’s much clearer (and epistemically accurate) the way you rephrased it.
I will keep in mind about recommending aspiring politicians and civil servants for your workshops, as well as financial aid opportunities for them.