EA Forum Podcast (All audio)

Over the past 4-5 years, I have poured a lot of time and energy into "doing good", through a combination of community building, policy advocacy, and volunteering with EA charities. On reflection, I think I have worked too much, and I negelected other important parts of my life. I am writing this in the hope that this gives some people permission to reflect on their workload and consider cutting back.

I have been doing these projects while studying or working a chill 9-to-5 job, neither of which were really improving the world, so I always felt a pull towards potentially “impactful” side projects. It felt motivating to work on these side projects, instead of having to wait potentially 5-10 years until I could move into a job where I felt like I was making the world better.

Because I have mostly enjoyed these projects, and I’ve never felt [...]

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First published:

July 22nd, 2025

Source:

https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/CGHwrEcEEKLSpnYY7/a-reflection-i-worked-too-much

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

This is a link post.

The following text presents a condensed summary of "The state of global catastrophic risk research: a bibliometric review" by Jehn et al. (2025), published in Earth System Dynamics. The paper represents the first systematic bibliometric analysis of global catastrophic risk (GCR) and existential risk (ER) literature, examining a large number of documents to map the field's development, identify research clusters, and assess current challenges. The full paper includes extensive supplementary materials, detailed methodological descriptions, and over 280 references and can be found here (open access): https://esd.copernicus.org/articles/16/1053/2025/

Visual Abstract

Introduction

The field of global catastrophic risk (GCR) and existential risk (ER) research has grown considerably over the past two decades, evolving from a nascent area of study into an established research domain. This first systematic bibliometric analysis of the GCR/ER literature examines all large number documents to understand how the field has developed, what topics [...]

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Outline:

(00:52) Visual Abstract

(01:23) Introduction

(02:23) Growth and Development of the Field

(03:40) Research Clusters and Their Interconnections

(05:35) Geographic and Demographic Patterns

(06:41) Gaps and Future Directions

(07:52) Implications and Recommendations

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First published:

July 22nd, 2025

Source:

https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/vfmsi9SNAyPSZF2ys/the-state-of-global-catastrophic-risk-research

Linkpost URL:
https://esd.copernicus.org/articles/16/1053/2025/esd-16-1053-2025.html

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

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I am writing this to reflect on my experience interning with the Fish Welfare Initiative, and to provide my thoughts on why more students looking to build EA experience should do something similar.

Back in October, I cold-emailed the Fish Welfare Initiative (FWI) with my resume and a short cover letter expressing interest in an unpaid in-person internship in the summer of 2025. I figured I had a better chance of getting an internship by building my own door than competing with hundreds of others to squeeze through an existing door, and the opportunity to travel to India carried strong appeal. Haven, the Executive Director of FWI, set up a call with me that mostly consisted of him listing all the challenges of living in rural India — 110° F temperatures, electricity outages, lack of entertainment… When I didn’t seem deterred, he offered me an internship.

I [...]

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First published:

July 22nd, 2025

Source:

https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/SmiXeQcnMD7qmAfgS/why-you-should-build-your-own-ea-internship-abroad

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TL;DR: Open Philanthropy (OP) is handing off monetary support for AI safety university group organizers to Kairos. Our new Pathfinder Fellowship will replace both OP's University Organizer Fellowship and our Fieldbuilder Support Program (FSP), bringing funding and mentorship for AI safety student groups into one streamlined program.

We’re excited to use the flexibility of a smaller organization like Kairos to provide more tailored and comprehensive support to student organizers than was possible at OP. By bringing these programs together under one roof, we can execute on a more ambitious version of AI safety group support, one that is more responsive to organizers’ needs and scales up our existing efforts. By making this change, we also hope to provide more streamlined access to funding and a smoother experience for those running groups via integrated fiscal sponsorship through BERI.

Note: Pathfinder is only for groups focused on AI safety or policy. [...]

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Outline:

(01:21) How do I apply to Pathfinder?

(01:38) What kinds of support will Pathfinder provide?

(02:47) Will the bar for getting funding change?

(03:01) What if I need funding but not mentorship?

(03:31) Will the amount of available funding change?

(03:43) What will change about funding logistics?

(04:26) What is Kairos?

(04:44) Where can I find more information?

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First published:

July 22nd, 2025

Source:

https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/auWQcRSpsMbchfw6G/introducing-the-pathfinder-fellowship-funding-and-mentorship

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

This is a post on behalf of Open Philanthropy's GCR Capacity Building team announcing that, effective as of the publication of this post, we are closing down our university group funding program and handing over the funding for most university AI safety groups to Kairos, an AI safety field-building organization. You can see their post, announcing their funding program and plans, here.

In our previous post about passing on EA group funding to CEA, we discussed why we’re generally interested in moving our small grants programs elsewhere when possible. While there haven’t previously been clear candidates for taking on monetary support for AI safety groups, we now think Kairos is well-positioned to do so – they have (in our opinion) a strong team and a substantive track record of supporting university AI safety group organizers.

As with our previous changes to this program, we continue to think student groups [...]

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First published:

July 22nd, 2025

Source:

https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/84emBPD7z3oWQxpKK/open-philanthropy-is-passing-ai-safety-university-group

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

There are interesting discussions on the Effective Altruism Forum concerning the welfare of the smallest but most abundant animals: Should we consider effects on soil nematodes, mites, and springtails? And does animal farming impact soil nematodes, mites, and springtails hugely more than directly affected animals?

If tiny soil animals such as nematodes have on average a negative welfare overall, even if that level of suffering is small, the numbers of those animals are so large that the total suffering of all soil animals could easily be larger than the total suffering of for example farmed animals. In agricultural land, there are much less nematodes than in natural habitats, such as forests. Animal farming increases agricultural land and hence strongly decreases the populations of soil animals on earth. If there are fewer soil animals, there is less soil animal suffering. Could the decrease in suffering of soil animals be [...]

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First published:

July 22nd, 2025

Source:

https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/udcCBBwGnCneLRjkH/should-we-consider-the-welfare-of-small-soil-animals-on-the

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

This is a link post.

Cross-posted from my blog

Introduction

In 2009, Zambian economist Dambisa Moyo published Dead Aid, a scathing critique of Western development efforts in Africa. She argued that decades of well-meaning aid had failed not only to lift African countries out of poverty, but had actively undermined their institutions, encouraged corruption, and created a culture of dependence. Aid, she concluded, was not saving Africa, it was holding it back.

Moyo was not the first to make such claims, and she wouldn't be the last. From economists (like William Easterly's The White Man's Burden) to anthropologists (like Jason Hickel's The Divide) a growing body of literature has criticized how foreign assistance, however generous in appearance, can replicate the very hierarchies and dependencies that colonialism once enforced through direct rule.

Today, a new form of philanthropy has emerged: Effective Altruism. EA, as it's known, is a movement built around [...]

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Outline:

(00:18) Introduction

(02:05) What Is Neocolonialism?

(04:03) 1. Does Effective Altruism Keep Poor People Poor?

(06:20) Counterarguments

(08:30) 2. Does EA Keep Poor People Dependent?

(11:57) Counterarguments

(14:02) 3. Does EA Fail To Listen To Poor People?

(17:41) Counterarguments

(18:46) Conclusion

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First published:

July 22nd, 2025

Source:

https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/48Wr4jd7pooKsMzke/is-effective-altruism-neocolonial-an-overview-of-the

Linkpost URL:
https://bobjacobs.substack.com/p/is-effective-altruism-neocolonial

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

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Happy Career Conversations Week!

We are a group of recruiters at impact-focused organizations, and we’re happy to answer your questions about applying to jobs, work trials, interviewing, references, and anything in between.

We’ll answer all the questions we can (subject to personal time constraints) by August 1. Ask us anything!

Participants include:

• Calum Richards (Recruiter at GiveWell)
• Evan Vandermeer (Recruiter at Open Philanthropy)
• Dee Kathuria (Recruiting Consultant at Open Philanthropy)
• Judith Rensing (Chief of Staff at Charity Entrepreneurship / Ambitious Impact; previously Director of Recruitment and Talent Specialist)
• Phil Zealley (Recruiting Lead at Open Philanthropy)
• Rika Gabriel (People Operations Senior Associate at the Centre for Effective Altruism)

A couple caveats:

• You should think of our answers as personal opinions or advice; not as official views from our employers.
• If we run into serious time constraints, we’ll prioritize questions with more upvotes.
• We might not answer every question. [...]

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First published:

July 22nd, 2025

Source:

https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/t4XKQMobYoTurjcpL/ama-with-recruiters-at-impact-focused-orgs

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

Summary

Following Joey's transition announcement, we're actively searching for exceptional leadership to guide AIM into its next phase.

• Find the full job description here
• To apply, please visit the following link
• Recommend someone you think could be a great fit here
• Location: London strongly preferred. Remote candidates willing to work from London at least 3 months a year and otherwise overlapping at least 6 hours with 9 am to 5 pm BST will be considered. We are happy to sponsor UK work visas.
• Employment Type: Full-time (35 hours)
• Application Deadline: rolling until August 10, 2025
• Start Date: as soon as possible (with some flexibility for the right candidate)
• Compensation: £45,000–£90,000 (for details on our compensation policy see full job description)

Leadership Transition

On March 15th, Joey announced he's stepping away from his role as CEO of AIM, with his planned last day as December 1st. He'll transition to a board member role while [...]

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Outline:

(00:11) Summary

(01:12) Leadership Transition

(01:32) The Opportunity

(02:31) Our Track Record

(03:07) What Does Working at AIM Look Like?

(03:21) What Were Looking For

(03:51) CEO Requirements

(03:55) Essential Qualifications

(07:43) How to Apply

(08:36) How to Recommend Someone

(08:54) Questions

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First published:

July 22nd, 2025

Source:

https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/k3swpN2FJzooQZAyw/aim-is-seeking-a-new-ceo

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

Kathleen Perell | Chief of Staff to the COO at the Centre for Effective Altruism

Kathleen Perell began her career with a clear goal: obtain a law degree and then find meaningful, mission-aligned work. While she was never committed to a particular cause, she knew she wanted to do something good for others. Unfortunately, like many, she faced the financial and institutional reality of legal education in the U.S., graduating with substantial debt and limited practical experience. To pay it off and gain career capital, Kathleen joined a prestigious law firm, learning how top lawyers think, negotiate, and operate. She stayed for three years, then moved to a mid-sized firm where she could take a step back, focus on starting a family, and reflect on what her “ultimate plan” might be.

Over the years, Kathleen cycled through roles in corporate law, nonprofits, and tech, spending quite a few years [...]

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Outline:

(00:14) Kathleen Perell | Chief of Staff to the COO at the Centre for Effective Altruism

(05:50) Kathleen's advice to those considering a career transition:

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First published:

July 22nd, 2025

Source:

https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/BkfeavAfHEWT7C9aD/corporate-law-to-cea-operations-mid-career-transitions-with

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.