EA Organization Updates: July 2019

By Aaron Gertler 🔸 @ 2019-08-07T13:27 (+48)

The EA Newsletter has long included a section where different EA organizations could provide monthly updates on their work.

Starting this month, we're experimenting with hosting these updates on the Forum, rather than in the Newsletter itself, for the following reasons:

• Creating an archive that is easier to search through than the organization updates in the Newsletter (while also enabling comments and other useful Forum features)
• Allowing organizations to update their updates (for example, if they realize after the Newsletter email goes out that they wanted to include another link)
• Opening up space in the Newsletter (emails above a certain "size limit" have properties that make measuring readership more difficult, and we often push against that limit)

We may add updates back to the Newsletter at some point; if so, we'd think about whether we want to keep having them available in two locations, or only in the Newsletter (for which archived editions are available here).

If your organization isn't represented in the list below, you're welcome to provide an update in a comment.

You can also email me if you'd like to be included on the list of organizations I ask for updates each month; I can then add any updates you submit to future posts. (I may not accept all such requests; whether I include an org depends on its size, age, focus, track record, etc.)

Here are the updates sent to us for the month of July, which I've lightly edited for clarity:

80,000 Hours

80,000 Hours hired a new career advisor (Jenna Peters). They updated their explanation of their key ideas and posted almost 200 new jobs on their job board. They released an interview with Helen Toner about the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) and a tool for improving your forecasting calibration (to go with their recent interview with forecasting expert Philip Tetlock).

Animal Charity Evaluators

Animal Charity Evaluators published a report on effective animal advocacy in India, which highlights some key challenges and opportunities for EAA in the country. They also released a list of their goals for the year ahead.

Center for Human-Compatible AI

Caroline Jeanmaire has joined CHAI as the Director of Strategic Research and Partnerships.

Centre for Effective Altruism

EA Funds announced changes to the management teams for the Animal Welfare, Long-Term Future, and Meta funds, as well as a change to the regranting schedule for the Global Health and Development Fund.

Centre for the Study of Existential Risk

CSER researchers published a paper on avoiding polarization around negative emissions, and were featured in a podcast on climate change as an existential risk and an article on the malicious use of AI. Lord Martin Rees spoke at Hay Festival and Chatham House. CSER held workshops on biosecurity governance, on the Biosecurity Research Initiative, and on promoting trust between the West and China on AI. The last of these featured a lecture on digital communication from Onora O’Neill.

Effective Altruism Foundation

The EAF Fund has $800,000 in grants available for work with the potential to reduce downside risks from advanced AI; applications can be submitted by 11 August. EAF published an article on how Europe might matter for AI governance and released a new version of their website. They have also decided to relocate from Berlin to the UK to increase collaboration with other researchers and EA organizations

Future of Humanity Institute

FHI is recruiting researchers at several levels of seniority, and in a variety of research areas, which include: Macrostrategy, Technical AI Safety, Governance of AI, Biosecurity, AI Ethics and Philosophy of Mind, Transparency and Surveillance, Philosophical Foundations, Grand Futures, Cooperative Principles and Institutions, AI Ethics, AI Capabilities, and Nanotechnology.

Future of Life Institute

FLI announced the winner of their Sapiens Plurum short story contest: Mildred 302.0. They also released podcasts on AI governance and the existential threat of climate change. They are planning a series of podcasts on climate risk; take this survey to help them choose topics by sharing what you’d like to learn.

GiveWell

GiveWell wrote about their plans to experiment with using images and emphasizing cost-effectiveness information in their communications, with the goal of improving people’s connection to their work without compromising accuracy. GiveWell also evaluated interventions that distribute improved cookstoves to households in order to reduce indoor air pollution.

Global Catastrophic Risk Institute

GCRI published a new paper: "The Challenge of Analyzing Global Catastrophic Risks". They are still looking for people who are interested in seeking their advice or collaborating on projects.

The Good Food Institute

GFI sued the state of Arkansas over their label-censorship bill, as discussed by The New York Times. They published new data on the growth of plant-based retail sales in the United States; grocery sales of plant-based foods that directly replace animal products have grown 31% in the past two years. Their sustainable seafood initiative was covered in Wired.

Open Philanthropy Project

The Open Philanthropy Project shared what they are learning about grants that seek to help people today, had their criminal justice portfolio profiled by Inside Philanthropy, opened applications for individuals who want to pursue AI policy careers, and announced grants to AltLabs, the Effective Altruism Foundation, and Engineers Without Borders.

The Life You Can Save

The Giving Games Project released their quarterly newsletter, describing (among other topics) the launch of their fall student outreach programs. They piloted the Charity Elections program with multiple summer programs at Yale University, and published a report from a Giving Game at Virginia Commonwealth University. They’re interested in hearing from students who want to run outreach workshops or Giving Games; contact Kathryn Mecrow to learn more.

Wild Animal Initiative

Wild Animal Initiative released a six-month update on their work, as well as a series of opinion pieces on how uncertainty affects efforts to improve wild animal welfare. They hired Cameron Meyer Shorb to serve as Deputy Director, working on academic outreach and research. Finally, they are running a summer fundraiser to support research and academic field-building.