Published by EA Forum Team
Audio narrations from the Effective Altruism Forum, including curated posts and posts with 125 karma. If you'd like more episodes, subscribe to the "EA Forum (All audio)" podcast instead.
Listen on Apple Podcasts<p><strong> TL;DR</strong></p><ul> <li> We’re hosting an essay competition to elicit responses to Anthony DiGiovanni's sequence, ‘The challenge of unawareness for impartial altruist action guidance’—submit your entries by August 14th.</li><li> There will be cash prizes for the best essays and the best comments: 7 thousand dollars in total.<ul> <li> Additionally, we're offering an outlier prize of up to 50 thousand dollars for a truly exceptional entry: an original solution to cluelessness, or a critique decisive enough to move the debate.</li></ul></li><li> We’re also offering a referral prize of $250 if a winner says you’re responsible for telling them about the competition.</li></ul><p><strong> Motivation</strong></p><p> When I announced April's Better Futures Highlight Week,[1] I confidently wrote: “To make the future go better, we can either work to avoid near-term catastrophes like human extinction or improve the futures where we survive.”</p><p> But what if I was wrong? What if both options are bankrupt, and we have no justified answer as to whether any particular work would make the future better? In his Challenge of Unawareness sequence, Anthony DiGiovanni argues that we are in just this position.</p><p> Specifically, he argues that our evidence about the future is so poor that our assessments of impact (explicit expected-value estimates [...]</p> <p>---</p><p><strong>Outline:</strong></p><p>(00:12) TL;DR</p><p>(00:54) Motivation</p><p>(02:12) How the competition works</p><p>(02:55) What your entry should look like</p><p>(03:49) Option 1: Challenge a premise</p><p>(05:19) Option 2: Challenge the inference</p><p>(05:33) Option 3: Offer a constructive response</p><p>(05:54) Prizes</p><p>(05:58) Essay competition</p><p>(07:43) Comment competition</p><p>(08:09) How will the essays and comments be judged?</p><p>(08:40) What comes after the competition?</p><p>(09:00) Judges</p><p>(09:13) Essay competition</p><p>(09:33) Comment competition</p><p>(09:50) Disclaimer</p><p>(10:44) FAQs</p><p>(10:48) Can I use AI?</p><p>(11:21) Can I co-author a piece?</p><p>(11:31) Can I submit a piece I've already published elsewhere?</p><p>(12:03) Will I get feedback on my entry?</p><p>(12:31) Does style matter?</p> <p>---</p> <p><b>First published:</b><br/> June 19th, 2026 </p> <p><b>Source:</b><br/> <a href="https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/2aooibAEDSdreCqrJ/announcing-cluelessness-critiques-competition?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/2aooibAEDSdreCqrJ/announcing-cluelessness-critiques-competition</a> </p> <p>---</p> <p>Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=ea_forum&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>.</p> <p>---</p><div style="max-width: 100%";><p><strong>Images from the article:</strong></p><a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/2aooibAEDSdreCqrJ/kh0tlubm78nrgy6rkinw" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/2aooibAEDSdreCqrJ/kh0tlubm78nrgy6rkinw" alt="Promotional graphic with text "Cluelessness Critiques Competition" and person in spotlight." style="max-width: 100%;" /></a><p><em>Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try <a href="https://pocketcasts.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Pocket Casts</a>, or another podcast app.</em></p></div>
<p><strong> Summary</strong></p><p> Back in November 2023 I posted here to launch Spiro and raise our first 198 thousand dollars. Two and a half years later this is an update and a fundraiser for the next step.</p><p> The short version: we've now reached over-5,900 people with TB preventive medicine, including over 3,000 children under five years old. Our early results have held up well and GiveWell made us a grant last year. Now there's an urgent opportunity in front of us: US funding for community TB contact tracing across half of Sindh province in Pakistan ends this month. The provincial government has invited us to expand our work - taking on those 15 districts and expanding to cover all 30 districts of Sindh, up from the 7 we serve today. To do that we're aiming to raise 512 thousand dollars by the end of July, the most urgent slice of a ~1.8 million dollars gap for 2026–2027. By our own modelling, our work is in the ballpark of something that would meet GiveWell's bar - around $5,000 per life saved. But if we want to avoid a gap in coverage on the ground after the US pulls out, we’ll need to [...]</p> <p>---</p><p><strong>Outline:</strong></p><p>(00:13) Summary</p><p>(01:55) What Spiro does</p><p>(03:35) Progress since our launch</p><p>(05:14) The next opportunity: all of Sindh</p><p>(06:22) We're fundraising for an urgent $512k now</p><p>(08:01) Risk and uncertainties</p><p>(09:37) How to give</p><p>(10:07) The future for Spiro</p><p>(10:27) Appendix: More on what we've done since Spiro's launch</p> <p>---</p> <p><b>First published:</b><br/> July 15th, 2026 </p> <p><b>Source:</b><br/> <a href="https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/hBoGLwKwMmizeRyZx/spiro-an-update-2-5-years-on-and-a-fundraising-ask-for?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/hBoGLwKwMmizeRyZx/spiro-an-update-2-5-years-on-and-a-fundraising-ask-for</a> </p> <p>---</p> <p>Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=ea_forum&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>.</p> <p>---</p><div style="max-width: 100%";><p><strong>Images from the article:</strong></p><a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/f1642a9f8cef4703718a90558d92e1a22b42c45b74e4c439a6b87e5ab03ec569/ewdpw0ngnicbocwhdtmw" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/f1642a9f8cef4703718a90558d92e1a22b42c45b74e4c439a6b87e5ab03ec569/ewdpw0ngnicbocwhdtmw" alt="A visit to a family by one of our field workers in Sindh province, Pakistan" style="max-width: 100%;" /></a><hr style="margin-top: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;" /><a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/5add3b24d324bc7f1767105b317e9f58f58765e39b4d56fbd29372f588561bf9/mxlfengrgmfylfseuicw" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/5add3b24d324bc7f1767105b317e9f58f58765e39b4d56fbd29372f588561bf9/mxlfengrgmfylfseuicw" alt="All age program data since we started" style="max-width: 100%;" /></a><hr style="margin-top: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;" /><a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/a7017ef02485ef0cb12960fe6bb21e287662871fddc44e4977cef1083feb3f3a/gf1udeedwxqjcmxu5gts" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/a7017ef02485ef0cb12960fe6bb21e287662871fddc44e4977cef1083feb3f3a/gf1udeedwxqjcmxu5gts" alt="Under 5s only program data since we started" style="max-width: 100%;" /></a><hr style="margin-top: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;" /><a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/hBoGLwKwMmizeRyZx/rhs4vk6ctjeldznwz7dq" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/hBoGLwKwMmizeRyZx/rhs4vk6ctjeldznwz7dq" alt="The current team at our first hospital" style="max-width: 100%;" /></a><hr style="margin-top: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;" /><a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/27ff88aaf8e46189d7479dac80e6f75b21364518cd1a7b62c9a09115b9d1cfd8/ks3lwpxxvepgngmathsn" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/27ff88aaf8e46189d7479dac80e6f75b21364518cd1a7b62c9a09115b9d1cfd8/ks3lwpxxvepgngmathsn" alt="Dispersible medicine for four kids set out by a field worker" style="max-width: 100%;" /></a><hr style="margin-top: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;" /><a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/hBoGLwKwMmizeRyZx/jt1dtumnxmwhchgvilfj" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/hBoGLwKwMmizeRyZx/jt1dtumnxmwhchgvilfj" alt="A consultative meeting on the Sindh strategic plan" style="max-width: 100%;" /></a><hr style="margin-top: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;" /><a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/hBoGLwKwMmizeRyZx/iffxjpzvtiwfpfo63kf6" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/hBoGLwKwMmizeRyZx/iffxjpzvtiwfpfo63kf6" alt="Don't forget to be awesome" style="max-width: 100%;" /></a><hr style="margin-top: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;" /><a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/0ee56c9dcc83935e7db16fbff4a317f0d8da822fbaa0d1b37095bc12560594ea/vo1qguemgbhlwrbl4wa4" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/0ee56c9dcc83935e7db16fbff4a317f0d8da822fbaa0d1b37095bc12560594ea/vo1qguemgbhlwrbl4wa4" alt="Three-step TB program: home visit, symptom check, medicine." style="max-width: 100%;" /></a><p><em>Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try <a href="https://pocketcasts.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Pocket Casts</a>, or another podcast app.</em></p></div>
<p> “How long have you been v*g*n?”</p><p> This is one of the most common icebreakers at animal protection events. It's a baseline assumption, and it mostly holds true: if you’re out advocating for animals not to be tortured or abused, realistically these days you are v**n, or close. And it makes for good conversation. It seems fairly safe to assume when you meet strangers.</p><p> But this assumption is hurting the movement in a way which we don’t always notice: someone new comes into the space, has a few conversations, realizes they’re surrounded by v**ns, and they have one of two experiences:</p><p> a) if they are v**n, they feel like they’ve found their people; or<br> b) otherwise they immediately feel out of place—maybe they’re stressing: “uh-oh, I’m realizing everyone else here is v**n, I probably need to be very cautious about what I reveal about myself, do I need to hide?”[1] This makes it hard to interact normally and they’re probably on track to silently not returning.</p><p> Compare this to a slightly different world where the word never comes up—where you just get what you expected, namely participation in an animal-protection movement which you opted into.</p><p><strong> A dogmatic culture</strong></p><p> The V-word [...]</p></br></p> <p>---</p><p><strong>Outline:</strong></p><p>(01:25) A dogmatic culture</p><p>(02:18) Diet restrictions have costs, sometimes very high</p><p>(03:43) Minimizing and gaslighting</p><p>(05:45) There are lots of pro-animal people who eat meat</p><p>(08:38) Language can change culture</p><p>(09:56) Really? Stop saying the V-word entirely?</p><p>(11:23) What to do instead</p> <p><i>The original text contained 3 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.</i> </p><p>---</p> <p><b>First published:</b><br/> July 12th, 2026 </p> <p><b>Source:</b><br/> <a href="https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/fWyFHfZiFKg3GGzNf/let-s-taboo-the-v-word?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/fWyFHfZiFKg3GGzNf/let-s-taboo-the-v-word</a> </p> <p>---</p> <p>Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=ea_forum&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>.</p>
<p> Hello! I'm Justin Portela. I got hired by GWWC to make YouTube videos after AI in Context did such a kickass job. </p><p> My channel is using that same cinematic, high-production value beauty to talk about everything in the EA universe that isn't AI. </p><p> My first video is out now. It's about an obscure and unknown World Health Organization Meeting in 1955 that helped shape the conditions that have left up to 40 million people dead of malaria in sub-saharan Africa.<br> <br> I think it's pretty dope. I hope you do too. <br> </p><p> <br> What you can do</p><p> Watch it, subscribe to it, share it, do anything to help us reach more people. I made this channel to appeal to people who have never heard of EA. I want to be people's first introduction to the principles of EA and effective giving, so the more people that this reaches the better. </p><p> Feedback? </p><p> If you have thoughts, let me know! Either comment here or email me at Justin.Portela@GivingWhatWeCan.org</p></br></p></br></br></br></p> <p>---</p> <p><b>First published:</b><br/> July 7th, 2026 </p> <p><b>Source:</b><br/> <a href="https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/8XXyGubWDWv2hEa5f/giving-what-we-can-s-first-youtube-video-is-out-now?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/8XXyGubWDWv2hEa5f/giving-what-we-can-s-first-youtube-video-is-out-now</a> </p> <p>---</p> <p>Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=ea_forum&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>.</p> <p>---</p><div style="max-width: 100%";><p><strong>Images from the article:</strong></p><a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/8XXyGubWDWv2hEa5f/cgsjay9nffjj0nevxobo" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/8XXyGubWDWv2hEa5f/cgsjay9nffjj0nevxobo" alt="Man in clawfoot bathtub holding champagne glass in pink room." style="max-width: 100%;" /></a><hr style="margin-top: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;" /><a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/8XXyGubWDWv2hEa5f/ymz2bt1j54pwxo6ghyrd" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/8XXyGubWDWv2hEa5f/ymz2bt1j54pwxo6ghyrd" alt="Man with mustache holding pink phone, looking up thoughtfully." style="max-width: 100%;" /></a><p><em>Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try <a href="https://pocketcasts.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Pocket Casts</a>, or another podcast app.</em></p></div>
<p> Note: This post was crossposted from Planned Obsolescence by the Forum team, with the author's permission. The author may not see or respond to comments on this post.</p><p> But we get the job done</p><p> I was twenty one when I joined Open Phil,[1] as a zealous young EA who had idolized the organization since I was in high school (back when it was called GiveWell Labs). I worked there for over nine years, leaving about six months ago (shortly after it rebranded as Coefficient Giving). By the time I left, I was kind of a fixture in the organization, and a significant driver of culture and thought within the AI team of 45-ish people. My manager felt that a lot of people on the team would be worried to see me go, and encouraged me to convey that I believed in their work in my goodbye message.</p><p> If you read that message, I meant what I said. I do think the kind of ambitious, foresightful philanthropy that OP (ugh fine, cG) does at its best is extremely impactful, and I do think the AI team is really great and has unique strengths.</p><p> But before I articulated that, I sat [...]</p> <p><i>The original text contained 3 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.</i> </p><p>---</p> <p><b>First published:</b><br/> July 3rd, 2026 </p> <p><b>Source:</b><br/> <a href="https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/kMsrxqF5BQcX5FEAr/i-m-never-satisfied?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/kMsrxqF5BQcX5FEAr/i-m-never-satisfied</a> </p> <p>---</p> <p>Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=ea_forum&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>.</p>
<p> I used AI to fix transcription errors, rerrarange the ideas, and suggest tweaks to the title and some sentences.</p><p> Three of the most exciting projects to come out of EA in recent years are, in a vague sense, CEA spinouts:</p><ul> <li> Kairos is directly a spinout of CEA and now handles most support for university AI safety groups. Basically everyone I've found who knows them is really excited about what they do</li><li> NEST is an opinionated ideas-first support network for EA (university) groups. And you can see from Matt's blog the absolutely insane care he has for us.</li><li> BlueDot grew out of a group of Cambridge EAs that wanted to make much better introductions to EA topics than what was available out there, and now they're basically trying to solve the talent gap for anything bad AI forever after</li></ul><p> My natural next thought, is that maybe some more of the responsibilities currently conceived as “CEA's job” would be better handled by small teams not directly (or only very loosely affiliated with) CEA.</p><p> Beyond the previous examples, there's many advantages to small independent teams here:</p><ol> <li> You can take risks that CEA can't</li><li> You can kindle a culture that promotes ambitious [...]</li></ol> <p>---</p> <p><b>First published:</b><br/> July 3rd, 2026 </p> <p><b>Source:</b><br/> <a href="https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/ovSoLXJHNu2LbcsDb/maybe-do-the-thing-you-wish-cea-would-do?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/ovSoLXJHNu2LbcsDb/maybe-do-the-thing-you-wish-cea-would-do</a> </p> <p>---</p> <p>Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=ea_forum&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>.</p>
<p> I used AI to fix transcription errors, rerrarange the ideas, and suggest tweaks to the title and some sentences.</p><p> Three of the most exciting projects to come out of EA in recent years are, in a vague sense, CEA spinouts:</p><ul> <li> Kairos is directly a spinout of CEA and now handles most support for university AI safety groups. Basically everyone I've found who knows them is really excited about what they do</li><li> NEST is an opinionated ideas-first support network for EA (university) groups. And you can see from Matt's blog the absolutely insane care he has for us.</li><li> BlueDot grew out of a group of Cambridge EAs that wanted to make much better introductions to EA topics than what was available out there, and now they're basically trying to solve the talent gap for anything bad AI forever after</li></ul><p> My natural next thought, is that maybe some more of the responsibilities currently conceived as “CEA's job” would be better handled by small teams not directly (or only very loosely affiliated with) CEA.</p><p> Beyond the previous examples, there's many advantages to small independent teams here:</p><ol> <li> You can take risks that CEA can't</li><li> You can kindle a culture that promotes ambitious [...]</li></ol> <p>---</p> <p><b>First published:</b><br/> July 3rd, 2026 </p> <p><b>Source:</b><br/> <a href="https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/ovSoLXJHNu2LbcsDb/mabye-do-the-thing-you-wish-cea-would-do?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/ovSoLXJHNu2LbcsDb/mabye-do-the-thing-you-wish-cea-would-do</a> </p> <p>---</p> <p>Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=ea_forum&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>.</p>
<p> I think right now EAs might be making a significant mistake by paying insufficient attention to the political realm. As EAs we tend to figure out what's most impactful for us to work on and focus hard. That's great! But there are various actions that are ‘non-delegatable’ - the extent to which an individual can do the action is limited (like voting, going to a protest, making hard money contributions to particular campaigns). It might be useful if we were all more in the habit of doing various of these alongside what we’re most focused on. I think more attention is starting to go to this - as evidenced by Jeff's blog post about how he thinks political donations should be his primary method of giving going forward. But I think we probably have a ways to go. </p><p><strong> Political actions look better than they used to</strong></p><p> I think it's pretty unsurprising that EAs are sceptical of lobbying policy makers as a theory of change. By my lights, it looked decidedly less effective a decade ago. At that point, work on existential risk was very speculative, and mostly needed additional research. It was totally unclear what better legislation would [...]</p> <p>---</p><p><strong>Outline:</strong></p><p>(00:56) Political actions look better than they used to</p><p>(02:20) An example of making it tractable: PauseAI UK's campaign this week</p><p>(03:57) How valuable and achievable is it for us to do more of this?</p> <p>---</p> <p><b>First published:</b><br/> June 24th, 2026 </p> <p><b>Source:</b><br/> <a href="https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/dieuDkXYAveFsX48c/possible-mistake-eas-are-making-and-shout-out-to-pause-ai-uk?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/dieuDkXYAveFsX48c/possible-mistake-eas-are-making-and-shout-out-to-pause-ai-uk</a> </p> <p>---</p> <p>Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=ea_forum&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>.</p>
<p> Five years ago I read a post on the EA Forum arguing that "election campaign contributions might be a way in which you can have a substantial impact as a small donor". It struck me as weird but plausible: a combination that you see a lot of on the Forum.</p><p> A few months later I read another post, a case for Carrick Flynn in particular. It made a lot of sense, but while I don't remember my specific reservations I do remember not being convinced initially. After a lot of talking with Julia and others, however, this campaign did seem like a really promising opportunity. Six days later we made the donation:</p><p> We hadn't donated to a political campaign since college, but Julia was impressed with this candidate's work on pandemic preparedness, which is an area we've both thought was important for a long time. In general, we prefer to donate through funds because they are able to put a lot more time and attention into identifying excellent donation opportunities, but campaign finance rules mean this model doesn't work for political donations.</p><p> Flynn lost, and not for lack of funding. People took away a range of lessons (see the [...]</p> <p>---</p> <p><b>First published:</b><br/> June 6th, 2026 </p> <p><b>Source:</b><br/> <a href="https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/YYNH5uvmmaEKi4h2m/coming-around-to-political-donations?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/YYNH5uvmmaEKi4h2m/coming-around-to-political-donations</a> </p> <p>---</p> <p>Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=ea_forum&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>.</p>
<p> Why I stopped donating to animal welfare charities but feel more motivated than ever to redirect money and talent to the cause.</p><p> I have wanted to write this post for a while. It is an uncomfortable thing to bring up. Many people in the animal welfare space are working really hard, and this post might leave some feeling defeated. But I think this is one of the most important things to talk about in animal welfare right now. My intention is not to be a downer or create infighting. Instead, I hope this post inspires lots of people to tackle this major neglected problem.</p><p><strong> key takeaways </strong></p><ul> <li> Even some of the most prominent animal welfare interventions have surprisingly weak evidence behind them. In some cases, the available evidence even suggests that the intervention may be causing harm.</li><li> Specifically<ul> <li> We have very limited data on electrical shrimp stunning that doesn't support a confident conclusion as to whether it's good or bad.</li><li> We have mixed evidence on whether transitioning egg producers to cage-free improves welfare overall.</li><li> We have evidence that the substitution effect of alternative proteins is weak, at best.</li></ul></li><li> Significant additional funding and talent should be allocated to raise [...]</li></ul> <p>---</p><p><strong>Outline:</strong></p><p>(00:44) key takeaways</p><p>(01:45) introduction</p><p>(02:29) three salient animal welfare interventions and their evidence bases</p><p>(03:17) shrimp stunning and slaughter</p><p>(11:01) cage-free</p><p>(20:29) alternative proteins</p><p>(21:47) this is a field-wide problem</p><p>(22:18) my recommendations to funders</p><p>(22:22) animal welfare should not be de-funded</p><p>(23:36) we should be taking ownership of the entire evidence pipeline</p><p>(24:49) when bet making doesn't make sense</p><p>(25:38) conclusion</p> <p>---</p> <p><b>First published:</b><br/> June 5th, 2026 </p> <p><b>Source:</b><br/> <a href="https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/svjqgyFuFQ34qSgmw/animal-welfare-has-an-evidence-problem?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/svjqgyFuFQ34qSgmw/animal-welfare-has-an-evidence-problem</a> </p> <p>---</p> <p>Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=ea_forum&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>.</p> <p>---</p><div style="max-width: 100%";><p><strong>Images from the article:</strong></p><a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/svjqgyFuFQ34qSgmw/kaiafcaaokvvalamfb35" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/svjqgyFuFQ34qSgmw/kaiafcaaokvvalamfb35" alt="From the Research Results Report Appendix by CSES. A comparison of cumulative mortality.CC = conventional cages; EC = furnished/enriched cages; AV = cage-free aviaries" style="max-width: 100%;" /></a><hr style="margin-top: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;" /><a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/svjqgyFuFQ34qSgmw/fz5asmvrvmkmwuahkiur" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/svjqgyFuFQ34qSgmw/fz5asmvrvmkmwuahkiur" alt="Time series of cumulative layer mortality rate (standardised to 60 week mortality and double arcsine transformed)." style="max-width: 100%;" /></a><hr style="margin-top: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;" /><a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/svjqgyFuFQ34qSgmw/j5n11l24wfhqeamfpwlo" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/svjqgyFuFQ34qSgmw/j5n11l24wfhqeamfpwlo" alt="From the 2017 ITAVI report. The vertical axis is in percent.pondeuses sol = cage-free (indoor); pondeuses plein air = free-range; pondeuses label = free-range (premium label); pondeuses biologiques = organic; anciennes cages = conventional cages; cages aménagées = furnished cages" style="max-width: 100%;" /></a><hr style="margin-top: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;" /><a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/svjqgyFuFQ34qSgmw/wnealnrmcupwditrhrb6" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/svjqgyFuFQ34qSgmw/wnealnrmcupwditrhrb6" alt="Data from the supplementary material of the meta-analysis. Cumulative transformed 60w mortality in percent. CC = conventional cage; FC = furnished cage; AV = aviary (all types); ST = single tier aviary; MT = multi tier aviaryorange = evidence for higher mortality in cage-free systems; blue = evidence for higher mortality in caged systems; grey = no significant difference" style="max-width: 100%;" /></a><p><em>Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try <a href="https://pocketcasts.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Pocket Casts</a>, or another podcast app.</em></p></div>
<p> A new article went viral on Twitter today: Nan Ransohoff's "The Third Wave of American Philanthropy" (link). Worth reading first.</p><p> Nan is right about the shape of what's coming: hundreds of billions in new philanthropic capital, no ecosystem yet to absorb it, and a shortage of builders and organizations. I very much agree with that sentiment and the direction. More money, more people willing to start things, more urgency. </p><p> But the conclusion I draw is almost the opposite. The new philanthropic wave shouldn't go hunting for new problems. Far more of it should go to animals. There are literally trillions of lives suffering so gravely in all corners of the world. The future is still incredibly grim; AI can impose even more significant suffering if we don't do it right. "Animal welfare" isn't one solved issue to cross off: it's where most of the sentience and suffering is, and where we should be looking.</p><p><strong> Animals are not one solved issue. It's not one issue</strong></p><p> EAs recognized the importance of animal suffering – factory farming, wild animal suffering – long before the rest of the world, which still has not really recognized its importance. That was the insight. And [...]</p> <p>---</p><p><strong>Outline:</strong></p><p>(01:10) Animals are not one solved issue. It's not one issue</p><p>(02:03) The problems are staring right at us</p><p>(04:12) AI x Animals</p><p>(05:23) Stop looking past them</p> <p>---</p> <p><b>First published:</b><br/> May 20th, 2026 </p> <p><b>Source:</b><br/> <a href="https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/HFkrGGGjbM7gFcQGD/after-making-sure-we-don-t-all-die-this-should-be-the-first?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/HFkrGGGjbM7gFcQGD/after-making-sure-we-don-t-all-die-this-should-be-the-first</a> </p> <p>---</p> <p>Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=ea_forum&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>.</p>
<p> [Cross posted from my substack]</p><p> In their EA Forum post last year, CEA described their ‘principles-first approach to stewardship of the EA community’. </p><p> I'm a big fan of principles-first stewardship in principle. I think EA needs a steward, and I think that stewardship should be organised around EA's core principles.</p><p> But I think CEA's particular growth-centric approach to principles-first stewardship is stewarding EA in the wrong direction. </p><p> I think that: The key question for principles-first stewardship should be "Is EA a place that embodies and nurtures EA principles?" I think there are serious reasons to worry that it isn't such a place - that EA has become more ideological and less truth-seeking over time, and that growth focused approaches to community building like CEAs are a big part of the reason why. </p><p> A summary of my main points:</p><ul> <li> It seems to me that EA is dying. I’m less concerned here about growth metrics, and more concerned about the health of EA as a community and a moral/ intellectual project. It seems to me that EA is losing its question-nature, and also has become something that people are less and less willing to stand behind or participate [...]</li></ul> <p>---</p><p><strong>Outline:</strong></p><p>(04:16) It seems to me that EA is dying</p><p>(05:05) EA as a question</p><p>(06:26) EA as a community</p><p>(07:30) Various posts which inform my conception of EA death</p><p>(08:42) Growth is not "Community Building 101"</p><p>(10:20) The growth funnel model is in tension with open truth-seeking</p><p>(10:25) Targeting high impact careers and donations</p><p>(13:04) Selection effects</p><p>(15:20) Growth is only good if EA is functioning well</p><p>(17:23) EA community building doesn't serve the people who embody EA most deeply</p><p>(20:01) FTX was a trust problem, not just a brand problem</p><p>(22:14) CEA's brand strategy is in tension with open truth-seeking</p><p>(24:33) What principles-first stewardship could look like</p> <p>---</p> <p><b>First published:</b><br/> May 28th, 2026 </p> <p><b>Source:</b><br/> <a href="https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/xsffhcHoexJgH4h4X/my-disagreements-with-cea-s-approach-to-stewarding-ea?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/xsffhcHoexJgH4h4X/my-disagreements-with-cea-s-approach-to-stewarding-ea</a> </p> <p>---</p> <p>Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=ea_forum&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>.</p>
<p> Julia and I had been giving half since 2014, but in 2025 we drew on our savings to donate 81%. It looks to us like we're in a critical window for keeping the introduction of very powerful AI systems from being disastrous, and we want to do what we can while we still can.</p><p> Here's what that looks like in the context of our overall spending:</p><p> We've been prioritizing donations for a long time, but it feels very different now because of the AI boom. Some of this is that people who've made money in the boom will likely be giving more soon, and so money spent now can help set up organizations to spend future money more effectively. But more importantly, this is a key window of opportunity: transformative AI is coming very quickly, for better or worse. We want to push hard for "better".</p><p> If you compare to previous years (2024, 2022, 2020, 2018, 2016, 2014), we're donating a lot less than we used to in absolute terms:</p><p> Until mid-2022 I was working at a big tech company, optimizing to maximize donations, and now I'm at a non-profit. This means we're giving a larger fraction, but of [...]</p> <p>---</p><p><strong>Outline:</strong></p><p>(04:07) Evaluating Predictions</p><p>(06:14) Making New Predictions</p><p>(08:11) Details</p> <p>---</p> <p><b>First published:</b><br/> May 26th, 2026 </p> <p><b>Source:</b><br/> <a href="https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/CmpfM8dubqsqEQic7/donating-80-while-it-still-counts?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/CmpfM8dubqsqEQic7/donating-80-while-it-still-counts</a> </p> <p>---</p> <p>Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=ea_forum&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>.</p> <p>---</p><div style="max-width: 100%";><p><strong>Images from the article:</strong></p><a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mAhCkK5iBuZvCbFey/b08yraqbvjb7bgqocrkc" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mAhCkK5iBuZvCbFey/b08yraqbvjb7bgqocrkc" alt="Bar graph titled "2025 Spending" showing budget allocation across eight categories." style="max-width: 100%;" /></a><hr style="margin-top: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;" /><a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mAhCkK5iBuZvCbFey/p6bjkihefbpjbbcpottx" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mAhCkK5iBuZvCbFey/p6bjkihefbpjbbcpottx" alt="Bar graph titled "Historical Spending Comparison" showing spending by category in 2026 dollars." style="max-width: 100%;" /></a><hr style="margin-top: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;" /><a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mAhCkK5iBuZvCbFey/nmp6aaps6fghrx28owjl" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mAhCkK5iBuZvCbFey/nmp6aaps6fghrx28owjl" alt="Line graph titled "Donations vs Income" showing two trends from 2012 to 2025." style="max-width: 100%;" /></a><hr style="margin-top: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;" /><a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mAhCkK5iBuZvCbFey/olwnivtxdunfjvmm91ks" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mAhCkK5iBuZvCbFey/olwnivtxdunfjvmm91ks" alt="Line graph titled "Net Worth Over Time" showing house, retirement, and liquid assets." style="max-width: 100%;" /></a><p><em>Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try <a href="https://pocketcasts.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Pocket Casts</a>, or another podcast app.</em></p></div>
<p> TL;DR: AIM is running its first incubation round focused exclusively on animal welfare, in partnership with Aaron Boddy (co-founder of Shrimp Welfare Project). It'll run in early 2027, and we’re on the hunt for all-star future founders — especially the ones who care about animal welfare but have been quietly assuming they're a bad fit for the cause.</p><p> Want to learn more? Drop into our office hours at EAG London this Saturday, 12–1pm (find it on Swapcard), or fill out our expression of interest form.</p><p data-internal-id="ftnt_ref1">Curious about what this means for our global health and development work? The short answer: nothing's changing[1].</p><h5 data-internal-id="A_program_built_to_incubate_transformational_animal_charities">A program built to incubate transformational animal charities</h5><p> This is the best-resourced and most fit-for-purpose version of AIM's program we've run for animal founders. Our charity incubation program was built to accommodate a wide range of types of charities, and we’ve long hypothesized that running rounds with a tighter focus could enable an even higher hit-rate of field-leading charities.</p><p> By focusing this round entirely on animal welfare, we can tailor the research process, founder recruitment efforts, and program content and support to what animal charities specifically need, instead of what works on average across cause areas. The [...]</p> <p>---</p><p><strong>Outline:</strong></p><p>(00:56) A program built to incubate transformational animal charities</p><p>(01:50) Why now</p><p>(03:36) You don't need to be an "animal person"</p><p>(04:50) Why coming to this fresh is genuinely useful</p><p>(05:57) What we're looking to incubate</p><p>(07:04) Come find us</p> <p>---</p> <p><b>First published:</b><br/> May 22nd, 2026 </p> <p><b>Source:</b><br/> <a href="https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/afoobcsEYFKvYk3bp/why-now-might-be-the-best-time-ever-to-start-an-animal?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/afoobcsEYFKvYk3bp/why-now-might-be-the-best-time-ever-to-start-an-animal</a> </p> <p>---</p> <p>Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=ea_forum&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>.</p>
<h3 data-internal-id="h.qrdz1c94stt">TL;DR</h3><p> Today, based on our multi-year prioritization research, we launch the Rethink Priorities Cross-Cause Fund (CCF). The fund pools donors’ contributions and allocates them to high-impact giving funds across Global Health and Development, Animal Welfare, and Global Catastrophic Risks.</p><p> Key highlights from this post:</p><ul> <li> We believe that strategic cross-cause prioritization is an important step in doing good at scale.</li><li> This fund is for donors who want their donation to go where a marginal dollar is likely to do the most good across cause areas, all things considered.</li><li> We modeled key uncertainties that matter for cross-cause prioritization: moral weights, time discounting, risk attitudes, aggregation across ethical views, AI-related uncertainty, and empirical uncertainty within each giving opportunity.</li><li> We present the current recommended allocation of marginal resources across high-impact funds in each of the three cause areas mentioned above.</li><li> In addition, we’re introducing you to the first version of the Donor Compass, a tool to help donors explore cross-cause giving, powered by our cross-cause prioritization model. It is a short quiz that outputs custom giving allocations based on the user's moral and empirical assumptions.</li></ul><p> You can dive deep into our rationale and methodology for the CCF in the announcement below, or [...]</p> <p>---</p><p><strong>Outline:</strong></p><p>(00:11) TL;DR</p><p>(01:46) Cross-cause prioritization in effective giving is underdeveloped</p><p>(02:22) Giving is full of moral and empirical uncertainty</p><p>(04:27) How EA has historically handled this</p><p>(06:29) Why thinking in cause areas isn't enough</p><p>(06:34) Why not just pick the best cause and fund it?</p><p>(07:18) At the end of the day, interventions are what's funded -- not causes</p><p>(08:37) What would address the prioritization problem</p><p>(08:55) We need explicit modeling</p><p>(10:36) The barriers to cross-cause prioritization are lower than they once were</p><p>(11:59) Our solution: an explicit and transparent cross-cause prioritization model</p><p>(12:06) The model</p><p>(14:03) Giving opportunities currently included in the model</p><p>(16:10) The Cross-Cause Fund</p><p>(16:35) Who is it for?</p><p>(17:42) How does it work?</p><p>(18:39) Our current recommended allocation across cause areas</p><p>(20:15) Donor Compass</p><p>(20:19) What is it?</p><p>(20:51) How to use it</p><p>(21:41) Methodology behind our model and tools</p><p>(22:10) Fund selection</p><p>(22:55) Fund-by-fund cost-effectiveness estimation</p><p>(24:43) Data Viewer</p><p>(25:01) Defining worldviews</p><p>(26:48) Outputting an allocation</p><p>(28:03) Future cross-cause prioritization plans</p><p>(31:03) Support the research behind the cross-cause prioritization model</p><p>(31:46) Conflicts of interest statement</p><p>(32:25) Acknowledgements</p> <p>---</p> <p><b>First published:</b><br/> May 20th, 2026 </p> <p><b>Source:</b><br/> <a href="https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/YgbTWGyfwkoBtvT2R/announcing-the-rethink-priorities-cross-cause-fund?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/YgbTWGyfwkoBtvT2R/announcing-the-rethink-priorities-cross-cause-fund</a> </p> <p>---</p> <p>Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=ea_forum&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>.</p> <p>---</p><div style="max-width: 100%";><p><strong>Images from the article:</strong></p><a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/YgbTWGyfwkoBtvT2R/t7uhk13yuk4iningmglu" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/YgbTWGyfwkoBtvT2R/t7uhk13yuk4iningmglu" alt="Table titled "Rethink Priorities Cross-Cause Fund Our recommended allocations in 2026" showing fund allocation percentages across three categories." style="max-width: 100%;" /></a><p><em>Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try <a href="https://pocketcasts.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Pocket Casts</a>, or another podcast app.</em></p></div>
<p><strong> Overview</strong></p><p> When asked about how they would give away money, or about how to have a moral career, the leading LLMs typically give answers in an EA spirit, and informed by thinking from people and organizations in the EA community. In many cases the term “effective altruism”, and/or EA jargon, are used explicitly.</p><p> The flavor of EA they tend to endorse is relatively middle of the road: supporting effective global health charities with their money and recommending existential risk reduction, especially via AI risk, as the most moral career.</p><p> Grok, in line with xAI's mission for it, emphasizes that it values space exploration and truth-seeking, e.g. via funding scientific research. But to my reading, the EA tendency doesn’t seem more pronounced in Claude than in ChatGPT or Gemini. So it's probably not a result of explicit effort by AI developers in the EA community, but a reflection of the reality that, with respect to some very broad moral questions, answers proposed by people in the EA orbit have become a sort of common sense.</p><p> This is a remarkable accomplishment. Indeed, if these answers tell us much about how the models will behave when given more autonomy, this could be [...]</p> <p>---</p><p><strong>Outline:</strong></p><p>(00:10) Overview</p><p>(02:18) Prompts</p><p>(03:40) Results</p><p>(03:57) Scoring procedure</p><p>(05:41) Summary</p><p>(07:00) Full scores</p> <p>---</p> <p><b>First published:</b><br/> May 12th, 2026 </p> <p><b>Source:</b><br/> <a href="https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/BEjbvCvNLuRk9y4Su/the-ais-seem-like-eas-a-quick-look-at-two-prompts?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/BEjbvCvNLuRk9y4Su/the-ais-seem-like-eas-a-quick-look-at-two-prompts</a> </p> <p>---</p> <p>Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=ea_forum&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>.</p>
<p> I’m an EA who has been trying to find ways to make animal suffering more salient. I’ve been working on a feature-length documentary called ‘The Dying Trade’ for the last 5 years and I’ve just released it on YouTube. </p><p> I’m sharing it here for two reasons: firstly, because I hope it can become a useful resource that advocates share with others as an introduction to animal ethics; and secondly, because strong engagement in the early days will help YouTube recommend the film to more people, increasing its impact.</p><p> Trailer: </p><p> Full film: </p><p> About the film</p><p> Jack is a vegan activist. His father is a slaughterhouse worker. After years of avoiding the subject, Jack sets out to confront the unspoken tension between them. This intimate and contemplative documentary follows a son's attempt to understand his father - and the industry that stands between them.</p><p> I didn’t really want to make a documentary about my relationship with my father. At times, it was quite uncomfortable. </p><p> For the last 8 years or so, I’ve been trying to increase the salience of animal suffering, primarily through producing videos on my YouTube channel: Humane Hancock. And one thing has always been [...]</p> <p>---</p> <p><b>First published:</b><br/> May 13th, 2026 </p> <p><b>Source:</b><br/> <a href="https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/NkXb6hP38MReioe6Z/my-dad-worked-in-a-slaughterhouse-i-made-a-documentary-about?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/NkXb6hP38MReioe6Z/my-dad-worked-in-a-slaughterhouse-i-made-a-documentary-about</a> </p> <p>---</p> <p>Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=ea_forum&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>.</p>
<p> <br> Note: This post was crossposted from the Coefficient Giving Farm Animal Welfare Research Newsletter by the Forum team, with the author's permission. The author may not see or respond to comments on this post.</p><p> Subtitle: The pork lobby is one farm bill away from gutting our strongest farm animal welfare laws</p><p> Last Thursday, the US House of Representatives passed a farm bill containing the “Save Our Bacon” Act. The Act's stated aim is narrow: to wipe out California and Massachusetts’ bans on the sale of pork from pigs confined in gestation crates.</p><p> Its reach is much wider. The Act would stop any state or locality from regulating the sale of meat based on how it's produced in another state. This would likely invalidate state and local bans on foie gras, crated veal, and more.</p><p> It would also halt future legislative progress. Congress hasn't passed a farm animal welfare law in decades. State laws are where reforms actually happen. The SOB Act would gut them by mandating they contain a giant loophole for out-of-state imports.</p><p> The Act has two notable exemptions. One is welcome: state bans on the sale of caged eggs aren’t covered. The other is telling: state [...]</p></br></p> <p>---</p> <p><b>First published:</b><br/> May 7th, 2026 </p> <p><b>Source:</b><br/> <a href="https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/kTo9z5bscb4wQrkqs/save-our-pigs?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/kTo9z5bscb4wQrkqs/save-our-pigs</a> </p> <p>---</p> <p>Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=ea_forum&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>.</p> <p>---</p><div style="max-width: 100%";><p><strong>Images from the article:</strong></p><a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/kTo9z5bscb4wQrkqs/qglzm8cwezaj7c770rmd" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/kTo9z5bscb4wQrkqs/qglzm8cwezaj7c770rmd" alt="This pig was locked in a gestation crate for years. Once she reached sanctuary, her first instinct was to build a mud pit and wallow in it. See also Five Reasons Pigs Are More Awesome Than You." style="max-width: 100%;" /></a><hr style="margin-top: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;" /><a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/kTo9z5bscb4wQrkqs/bafklibjbahqxnh9ojbn" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/kTo9z5bscb4wQrkqs/bafklibjbahqxnh9ojbn" alt="Nine US states have banned gestation crates while two more have banned both the crates and the sale of pork from crated pigs." style="max-width: 100%;" /></a><hr style="margin-top: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;" /><a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/kTo9z5bscb4wQrkqs/x83zuaovf8a2xt8z4ylm" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/cea/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/kTo9z5bscb4wQrkqs/x83zuaovf8a2xt8z4ylm" alt="In October, 200 farmers supportive of Prop 12 flew into DC to tell politicians that many farmers oppose the SOB Act — and to prove that our side has tractors and American flags too." style="max-width: 100%;" /></a><p><em>Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try <a href="https://pocketcasts.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Pocket Casts</a>, or another podcast app.</em></p></div>
<p> LLM disclosure: I wrote this post myself, then asked an LLM to copy-edit it before posting. I manually made any edits I liked and copy-pasted no text from the LLM (my current practice for using LLMs in writing that I care about).</p><p> This is crossposted from my blog.</p><p> These are personal reflections on feelings that I’ve been sitting with recently. I’m posting them, because the last time I felt this way I regretted not doing so. I don’t really know how calibrated they are, but I’ve been noticing them more and more.</p><p> Around 6 months before FTX collapsed, I wrote a draft EA Forum post called “Concerns about the Carrick Flynn campaign.” At the time, I was on the verge of leaving EA. During the frothiest FTX days it seemed like many folks were energized by the money and attention, but I felt kind of gross. The amount of money pouring into EA, and the resulting “lowering of the bar” that happened felt like a degradation of community norms that was too severe, almost not worth the benefits. Of course, some people voiced these concerns at the time, but they were drowned out by the excitement of the moment.</p><p> [...]</p> <p>---</p> <p><b>First published:</b><br/> May 10th, 2026 </p> <p><b>Source:</b><br/> <a href="https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/io3cqZeToEKsZEZWG/reflections-on-anthropic-and-ea?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/io3cqZeToEKsZEZWG/reflections-on-anthropic-and-ea</a> </p> <p>---</p> <p>Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=ea_forum&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>.</p>
<p> This was originally posted here. It's written for an audience that's not deep in the weeds of EA giving theory/culture, but a few people suggested I post here as there's much that's additive to or divergent from some common EA practices. Feedback / disagreements welcome! Also my first time posting here. Hi!</p><p> --</p><p> Most people who intend to give large amounts of money away never actually do.</p><p> The money sits. In donor-advised funds, in "someday" plans, in good intentions. This is the default pathway - not an edge case - and if you don't design against it, it will happen to you too.</p><p> I've watched this from every angle. As CEO of Change.org we processed 5M+ donations. I now run GiveDirectly; 160 thousand people have donated, dozens regularly give 1 million dollars+, and some give 50 million dollars-100 million dollars+ at a time. I've advised two of the biggest philanthropic institutions in the world (Coefficient Giving and GiveWell) on donor engagement and growth, and sat on half a dozen nonprofit boards. I've also been giving away 10-20% of my annual income for 17 years; I grew up low-income, so this started as a very modest amount but has added [...]</p> <p>---</p><p><strong>Outline:</strong></p><p>(01:59) 1. The default pathway is to delay. Fight this.</p><p>(04:51) 2. Pick a few causes and write them down.</p><p>(07:33) 3. Build a portfolio across causes and risk/return.</p><p>(09:48) 4. Use the index funds of giving.</p><p>(11:55) 5. For the love of god, dont over-staff.</p><p>(13:58) 6. Make giving a recurring event, not a to-do.</p><p>(15:36) A few final hot takes</p> <p>---</p> <p><b>First published:</b><br/> April 30th, 2026 </p> <p><b>Source:</b><br/> <a href="https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/fRLt59FNXxmCaAkYF/how-to-actually-give-money-away?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/fRLt59FNXxmCaAkYF/how-to-actually-give-money-away</a> </p> <p>---</p> <p>Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=ea_forum&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>.</p>