From a comment I made in the comments on this question:
(… I’d expect it [outreach] to backfire).
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I think AI-risk outreach should focus on the existing or near-term non-friendly AI that people already hate or distrust (and with some good reasons) – not as an end goal, but part of a campaign to bridge the inferential distance from people’s current understanding to the larger risks we imagine and wish to avoid.
Given the second part, I still think one should do no more outreach than usual but also definitely do not tie x-risk, or a specific non-pandemic x-risk, to the current pandemic.
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It just occurred to me that the form of the outreach, and especially the targeted audience of new outreach campaigns, could be decisive for my answer. When I first read your question, I immediately imagined things like ads on popular websites, in YouTube videos, or even on TV. Perhaps that wasn’t what you imagined by “outreach”. You did write:
I wouldn’t expect anyone to be willing to open their wallets right now, but it could be a good time to “plant the seed”.
I think outreach specifically intended to “plant the seed” – but not soliciting for funds or funding – could be very much worth doing now. But, because you’re not looking for money, you should target people that are most likely to ‘spread the seed’, e.g. public intellectuals.
(I still think you’re going to have a hard time selling non-friendly-AI risk, especially given that approximately everything is going to try to twist stories of the pandemic to their advantage. { Global warming / climate change} is an obvious likely competitor; as is universal healthcare in the U.S..)
I would seriously consider not doing more outreach than you are now – possibly for several years.
In the near-term, I think significantly more people will find x-risk on their own.
From a comment I made in the comments on this question:
Given the second part, I still think one should do no more outreach than usual but also definitely do not tie x-risk, or a specific non-pandemic x-risk, to the current pandemic.
...
It just occurred to me that the form of the outreach, and especially the targeted audience of new outreach campaigns, could be decisive for my answer. When I first read your question, I immediately imagined things like ads on popular websites, in YouTube videos, or even on TV. Perhaps that wasn’t what you imagined by “outreach”. You did write:
I think outreach specifically intended to “plant the seed” – but not soliciting for funds or funding – could be very much worth doing now. But, because you’re not looking for money, you should target people that are most likely to ‘spread the seed’, e.g. public intellectuals.
(I still think you’re going to have a hard time selling non-friendly-AI risk, especially given that approximately everything is going to try to twist stories of the pandemic to their advantage. { Global warming / climate change} is an obvious likely competitor; as is universal healthcare in the U.S..)