I think this creates a false dichotomy between growth and impact. If 1% of the global middle class gave effectively, that would dwarf all current EA funding—even at 1/​100th the per-person impact.
More crucially, broad movements create the conditions for high-impact work to succeed. Try getting AI safety regulation or pandemic prevention funding in a world where altruism remains niche. The abolitionists needed both William Wilberforce and a mass movement.
Your prediction may be right—perhaps SMA will have numbers and EA will have impact per person. That’s precisely why both are valuable. SMA normalizes caring about important problems; EA ensures the most dedicated people are optimally deployed.
I think this creates a false dichotomy between growth and impact. If 1% of the global middle class gave effectively, that would dwarf all current EA funding—even at 1/​100th the per-person impact.
More crucially, broad movements create the conditions for high-impact work to succeed. Try getting AI safety regulation or pandemic prevention funding in a world where altruism remains niche. The abolitionists needed both William Wilberforce and a mass movement.
Your prediction may be right—perhaps SMA will have numbers and EA will have impact per person. That’s precisely why both are valuable. SMA normalizes caring about important problems; EA ensures the most dedicated people are optimally deployed.