What are some software development needs in EA causes?

By Eevee🔹 @ 2020-03-06T05:25 (+10)

I'm starting an MEng in computer science in the fall, and I'm interested in developing software for an EA-like cause as my MEng project. I'm especially interested in projects that involve machine learning or information retrieval.

Some examples of "EA-like" causes I could work on: global health and development (including pandemics), global migration, criminal justice, patent reform, and urban planning.

Clarification: An information retrieval system is a software system, such as a search engine or recommender system, that returns information relevant to a given query.

What are some needs in EA causes or EA organizations (such as information bottlenecks) that a software project could satisfy?

Inspired by: Are there good EA projects for helping with COVID-19?

EdoArad @ 2020-12-20T14:09 (+3)

There is a section on software projects in this post.

DonyChristie @ 2020-03-09T05:39 (+3)

The Covid-19 Risk Assessment app is looking for programmers! (Note, that website may need updating with the latest progress).

You can email them at contact@covid19risk.com.

eFish @ 2020-03-07T13:41 (+3)

What I saw recently is mobile development (in a co-founder role) for a sleep-aid app and web development (WP plugins, DB architecture, API integration), full-time, for the Social Science Prediction Platform.

Check also EA Work Club and the Effective Altruism Job Postings and Effective Altruism Volunteering FB groups.

Also I would try ask Effective Thesis if they can connect you with the right persons. (They connect students with suitable thesis projects, but I imagine they can serve your case too if they know relevant connections.)

Thanks for your initiative!

Michal_Trzesimiech @ 2020-03-10T18:31 (+2)

Thanks for asking! Here's a list of projects that might interest you. Good luck!

MarisaJurczyk @ 2020-03-10T12:36 (+2)

This might not be exactly what you're looking for, but I'll put it here in case anyone else who reads this might be interested.

Saulius Simcikas wrote an EA Forum post about potential meta-projects, which includes a subsection for software development projects.