4-6 seem like compelling reasons to discount the intersection of AI and animals work (which is what this post is addressing), because AI won’t be changing what’s important for animals very much in those scenarios. I don’t think the post makes any comment on the value of current, conventional animal welfare work in absolute terms.
I actually want to make both claims! I agree that it’s true that, if the future looks basically like the present, then probably you don’t need to care much about the paradigm shift (i.e. AI). But I also think the future will not look like the present so you should heavily discount interventions targeted at pre-paradigm-shift worlds unless they pay off soon.
4-6 seem like compelling reasons to discount the intersection of AI and animals work (which is what this post is addressing), because AI won’t be changing what’s important for animals very much in those scenarios. I don’t think the post makes any comment on the value of current, conventional animal welfare work in absolute terms.
I actually want to make both claims! I agree that it’s true that, if the future looks basically like the present, then probably you don’t need to care much about the paradigm shift (i.e. AI). But I also think the future will not look like the present so you should heavily discount interventions targeted at pre-paradigm-shift worlds unless they pay off soon.