These are all really great and underdiscussed points!
On earning to give (E2G), I think it depends on the cause area. For AI safety (AIS), I’ve had a personal experience where an org had so much funding interest that they didn’t consider it worthwhile to make a small effort to increase the chance of a $100k donation. While I’m glad AIS is getting the funding it deserves, that anecdote doesn’t exactly fill me with enthusiasm for E2G for AIS.
In contrast, in animal welfare, that amount would pay 2 full time direct workers’ salaries for a full year, or take a million years of hens’ experiences out of cages. There are other neglected causes (digital minds etc) where that donation would go similarly far. As an E2G-er, donating to these causes makes me feel much more like what I’m doing every day matters. That’s important for staying value-aligned for the long term if you choose E2G.
You’re right that E2G depends on cause area. However, I doubt the saying “AI safety isn’t funding constrainted”, as I see the funding bar is still really high.(and some aspiring AI safety researchers can’t get an EA job). It’s true that some org said they don’t need more money, but they could be too stingy on funding researchers. In the AI s-risks(suffering risks) field, it’s probably more funding constrainted than AI x-risks field. Because, if there are only 1 or 2 major donors in a field, there maybe blind spots of the donor and some great projects aren’t funded. As I know, there are very few indidvidual donors donating > $50000 annually now. In this case, small donors could fill the gap. Imagine if there’s a PR90 researcher unfunded, if you donate to him, your impact would be better than 90% of people in EA. I have a FB post on EA career discussion group to explain deeper of this idea:
Thanks Jack! I agree that AIS is still far more funding constrained than it would be in an ideal world, and I still think E2G for AIS is very impactful. I just think other cause areas, including AI s-risks, are more neglected.
These are all really great and underdiscussed points!
On earning to give (E2G), I think it depends on the cause area. For AI safety (AIS), I’ve had a personal experience where an org had so much funding interest that they didn’t consider it worthwhile to make a small effort to increase the chance of a $100k donation. While I’m glad AIS is getting the funding it deserves, that anecdote doesn’t exactly fill me with enthusiasm for E2G for AIS.
In contrast, in animal welfare, that amount would pay 2 full time direct workers’ salaries for a full year, or take a million years of hens’ experiences out of cages. There are other neglected causes (digital minds etc) where that donation would go similarly far. As an E2G-er, donating to these causes makes me feel much more like what I’m doing every day matters. That’s important for staying value-aligned for the long term if you choose E2G.
Wow I would invest 60-100 hours of time even as a founder for an expected value of 100,000 dollars. That’s crazy that org had that much funding!
Yes in the animal welfare and global health space the situation is nothing like that...
Hello Ariel
You’re right that E2G depends on cause area. However, I doubt the saying “AI safety isn’t funding constrainted”, as I see the funding bar is still really high.(and some aspiring AI safety researchers can’t get an EA job). It’s true that some org said they don’t need more money, but they could be too stingy on funding researchers. In the AI s-risks(suffering risks) field, it’s probably more funding constrainted than AI x-risks field. Because, if there are only 1 or 2 major donors in a field, there maybe blind spots of the donor and some great projects aren’t funded. As I know, there are very few indidvidual donors donating > $50000 annually now. In this case, small donors could fill the gap. Imagine if there’s a PR90 researcher unfunded, if you donate to him, your impact would be better than 90% of people in EA. I have a FB post on EA career discussion group to explain deeper of this idea:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18oL5QjUUq/
Thanks Jack! I agree that AIS is still far more funding constrained than it would be in an ideal world, and I still think E2G for AIS is very impactful. I just think other cause areas, including AI s-risks, are more neglected.