I agree. I’ve been donating $10k-50k per year for the past decade or so. I determined a couple years ago that it was better for me to acquire money at my current job and spend it hiring professionals, than to go into fundamental research myself.
Most of my hobby time these days goes toward biochem and biomedical research, so that I can be at the cutting edge if it becomes necessary. Being able to get treatments from 5-10 years beyond the official approval timelines may very well make the difference between life and death.
Let’s be blunt here: the NYT article is pure, unbridled outrage bait dressed up as journalism. It’s not trying to solve a problem, and it doesn’t have any agenda other than to pack as much outrage as possible into the publication form factor so as to maximize eyeballs. It simultaneously craps on EA, the tech industry, SSC, rationalists, MIRI, tech investors and a stack of others. (I’m surprised that they didn’t also include jordan peterson, because hey, why not?) That’s not the sign of someone being honest.
IMO the correct response here is to recommend that friends and family unsubscribe or avoid the NYT. As far as as creating/finding a rebuttal and explaining things to others, don’t. Instead, say the article was a hit piece designed to make everyone look bad, and shrug. Give it the kind of attention you give to crazy preachers on street corners. Let it fade into obscurity.
Remember that with outrage bait, you being outraged and complaining about the article to others is entirely the point. The only winning move is not to play.