Ward - -maybe, maybe not. It’s very hard to predict what messaging to the public will be most effective. I think we need to do the empirical research to better understand what works!
Stefan Schubert. Lucius Caviola, Nadira Faber, and others have already published a few papers such as this regarding public understanding of X risk in general, and how to nudge people towards a more rational long-term view
In my opinion, we need a bit more research funding dedicated to these PR and public perception issues.
My advice was badly targeted. I regret it. Empirical research is relevant for measuring average appeal across a variety of opinion-markets, but people also tend to overapply it in cases where they know more about their audience. Nate Silver appeals to a broad group, and my suggestion is more appropriate appealing to a niche.
Just like the most profitable strategy for a spaghetti-sauce-selling company is to offer a variety of flavours (preferably informed by factor analysis of preferences), I imagine the goal should be to have a nice mix between Eliezer-style and everyday-folk public messaging, even though the two offset each other a little.
Fair points. Any PR/market/messaging research needs to focus on the specific target market one’s trying to reach; this could be the general public; it could be AI professionals; it could be EAs; it could be LessWrong rationalists. But any such issues can be turned into empirical research questions, if it might be helpful in guiding outreach.
Ward - -maybe, maybe not. It’s very hard to predict what messaging to the public will be most effective. I think we need to do the empirical research to better understand what works!
Stefan Schubert. Lucius Caviola, Nadira Faber, and others have already published a few papers such as this regarding public understanding of X risk in general, and how to nudge people towards a more rational long-term view
In my opinion, we need a bit more research funding dedicated to these PR and public perception issues.
My advice was badly targeted. I regret it. Empirical research is relevant for measuring average appeal across a variety of opinion-markets, but people also tend to overapply it in cases where they know more about their audience. Nate Silver appeals to a broad group, and my suggestion is more appropriate appealing to a niche.
Just like the most profitable strategy for a spaghetti-sauce-selling company is to offer a variety of flavours (preferably informed by factor analysis of preferences), I imagine the goal should be to have a nice mix between Eliezer-style and everyday-folk public messaging, even though the two offset each other a little.
Fair points. Any PR/market/messaging research needs to focus on the specific target market one’s trying to reach; this could be the general public; it could be AI professionals; it could be EAs; it could be LessWrong rationalists. But any such issues can be turned into empirical research questions, if it might be helpful in guiding outreach.