I’m a POC, and I’ve been recruited by multiple AI-focused longtermist organizations (in both leadership and research capacities) but did not join for personal reasons. I’ve participated in online longtermist discussions since the 1990s, and AFAICT participants in those discussions have always skewed white. Specifically I don’t know anyone else of Asian descent (like myself) who was a frequent participant in longtermist discussions even as of 10 years ago. This has not been a problem or issue for me personally – I guess different groups participate at different rates because they tend to have different philosophies and interests, and I’ve never faced any racism or discrimination in longtermist spaces or had my ideas taken less seriously for not being white. I’m actually more worried about organizations setting hiring goals for themselves that assume that everyone do have the same philosophies and interests, potentially leading to pathological policies down the line.
Thanks for sharing your experience! It’s valuable to get the perspective of someone who’s been involved in the Longtermist community for so long, and I’m glad you haven’t felt excluded during that time.
I’m a POC, and I’ve been recruited by multiple AI-focused longtermist organizations (in both leadership and research capacities) but did not join for personal reasons. I’ve participated in online longtermist discussions since the 1990s, and AFAICT participants in those discussions have always skewed white. Specifically I don’t know anyone else of Asian descent (like myself) who was a frequent participant in longtermist discussions even as of 10 years ago. This has not been a problem or issue for me personally – I guess different groups participate at different rates because they tend to have different philosophies and interests, and I’ve never faced any racism or discrimination in longtermist spaces or had my ideas taken less seriously for not being white. I’m actually more worried about organizations setting hiring goals for themselves that assume that everyone do have the same philosophies and interests, potentially leading to pathological policies down the line.
Thanks for sharing your experience! It’s valuable to get the perspective of someone who’s been involved in the Longtermist community for so long, and I’m glad you haven’t felt excluded during that time.