Today, the single most impactful thing anyone could do—to reduce existential risk, for animals, for the climate, to help humans in need, whatever—would be to stop Donald Trump’s administration. If you don’t trust me, pick any one topic and look at his actual actions—from blocking AI governance to repealing the most basic climate-policies to destroying the (albeit flawed) global system, to promoting arms build-ups to supporting thugs like Netanyahu and Putin.
It’s not about Trump personally, but about the policies he’s enabling, and about the transition he’s enabling in what was once a counterweight to the “bad guys.”
The world has adjusted over the decades to the idea of Russia being Russia and China being China and even to a few European countries having radical leaders. But the US has always been a powerful counterweight. If the US goes down this path, who will save us?
I hear the argument that opposing Trump is not exactly neglected. The day he dies will be a global celebration on a par with the end of WW2 - but unfortunately, like that celebration, it will be marred by the realisation of the massive damage that has been caused.
So an EA has to ask themselves not whether opposing Trump’s (or Orban’s, or Putin’s or …) fascism is the biggest problem, but rather, whether it is the most impactful thing they as an individual could do.
Honestly, if you are in the privileged position to impact this in some way, I believe that it probably is. Anyone in the AI bubble who can maybe influence those cynical AI companies who give him money, focus on stopping that, the most impactful thing you can do for the climate or for AI Governance is to ensure adults take power in November.
But if you’re, like me, far from the US, not in a country where fascism is a major force, and without any particularly strong means to impact the outcome, it’s probably not the right thing to be working on, not because it’s not important, but because it’s not neglected. So we can keep working on other good stuff, and somehow reduce the harm being done to the world over these 4 infamous years.
Today, the single most impactful thing anyone could do—to reduce existential risk, for animals, for the climate, to help humans in need, whatever—would be to stop Donald Trump’s administration. If you don’t trust me, pick any one topic and look at his actual actions—from blocking AI governance to repealing the most basic climate-policies to destroying the (albeit flawed) global system, to promoting arms build-ups to supporting thugs like Netanyahu and Putin.
It’s not about Trump personally, but about the policies he’s enabling, and about the transition he’s enabling in what was once a counterweight to the “bad guys.”
The world has adjusted over the decades to the idea of Russia being Russia and China being China and even to a few European countries having radical leaders. But the US has always been a powerful counterweight. If the US goes down this path, who will save us?
I hear the argument that opposing Trump is not exactly neglected. The day he dies will be a global celebration on a par with the end of WW2 - but unfortunately, like that celebration, it will be marred by the realisation of the massive damage that has been caused.
So an EA has to ask themselves not whether opposing Trump’s (or Orban’s, or Putin’s or …) fascism is the biggest problem, but rather, whether it is the most impactful thing they as an individual could do.
Honestly, if you are in the privileged position to impact this in some way, I believe that it probably is. Anyone in the AI bubble who can maybe influence those cynical AI companies who give him money, focus on stopping that, the most impactful thing you can do for the climate or for AI Governance is to ensure adults take power in November.
But if you’re, like me, far from the US, not in a country where fascism is a major force, and without any particularly strong means to impact the outcome, it’s probably not the right thing to be working on, not because it’s not important, but because it’s not neglected. So we can keep working on other good stuff, and somehow reduce the harm being done to the world over these 4 infamous years.