EA Forum Podcast (All audio)

The views expressed here are my own, not those of my employers or people who provided feedback.

Summary

• I estimate broiler welfare and cage-free corporate campaigns increase welfare per living time by 92.9 % and 80.4 %, which are not far from the increase of 100 % that would be obtained for improved conditions respecting neutral lives. Again:
  • Depending on assumptions, hens in cage-free aviaries, and broilers in a reformed scenario may have positive or negative lives.
  • I would say at least chickens’ lives can become positive over the next few decades in some animal-friendly countries.
• I conclude broiler welfare and cage-free campaigns are:
  • 156 and 371 times as cost-effective as GiveWell's top charities, i.e., way more.
  • 0.360 % and 0.856 % as cost-effective as Shrimp Welfare Project's Humane Slaughter Initiative, i.e., way less.
• According to my results, cage-free campaigns are 2.38 times as cost-effective as broiler welfare [...]

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Outline:

(00:13) Summary

(01:37) Introduction

(02:24) Methods

(02:27) Overview

(03:32) Chicken-years improved per $

(04:17) Increase in AQALYs per chicken-year improved

(07:44) Supply of animal products per living time in the improved conditions as a fraction of that in the original conditions

(09:12) Benefits of 1 AQALY in averted DALYs

(09:29) Results

(09:32) Welfare per living time

(09:54) Cost-effectiveness

(10:11) Discussion

(10:14) Welfare per living time

(10:50) Cost-effectiveness

(12:04) Acknowledgements

The original text contained 6 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.

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First published:

November 29th, 2024

Source:

https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/8FqWSqv9AeLowgajn/cost-effectiveness-of-corporate-campaigns-for-chicken

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

I recently wrote up some EA Forum-related strategy docs for a CEA team retreat, which meant I spent a bunch of time reflecting on the Forum and why I think it's worth my time to work on it. Since it's Thanksgiving here in the US, I wanted to share some of the gratitude that I felt. 🙂

I strongly believe in the principles of EA. I’ve been doing effective giving for about a decade now. But before joining CEA in 2021, I had barely used the Forum, and I had no other people in my life who identified with EA in the slightest.

Most of the people that I know, have worked with, or have interacted with are not EA. When I bring up EA to people in my personal life, they are usually not that interested, or are quite cynical about the idea, or they just want [...]

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First published:

November 28th, 2024

Source:

https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/f2c2to4KpW59GRoyj/i-m-grateful-for-you

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

This is a transcript of a talk given at EAG Boston 2024 by Jessica McCurdy[1] (slides can be found here). This was written as a talk and has not been edited to read well as a post, but we were keen to get it out, especially as we are currently hiring for a Strategy Lead (application deadline: Dec. 2nd)

Talk Description: While we see enormous potential in principles-first community building (CB) roles, many talented individuals are hesitant to pursue them, viewing them as low-status or risky for career growth. This talk addresses these criticisms head-on, exploring why EA groups remain a powerful engine for impact. Jessica will highlight how these groups ignite ambition, guide top talent into high-impact careers, and offer a nuanced vision of their value for those considering leading them.

Rekindling the Fire: Principles-First EA Groups as a Path to Impact

Questioning my path

Over [...]

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Outline:

(00:58) Rekindling the Fire: Principles-First EA Groups as a Path to Impact

(01:05) Questioning my path

(01:55) Ecosystem approach

(02:54) The Disconnect

(03:41) Why groups?

(04:01) What groups do

(06:00) Multiplier effect

(07:00) Data on groups

(08:14) Why principles-first EA?

(10:36) Why now?

(12:20) Addressing objections

(12:44) Objection 1: The EA brand is so bad, it's ruined!

(14:11) Objection 2: “Reputation Risk”

(15:58) Objection 3: “Community Building Isnt Good Career Capital”

(19:23) Is Community Building for you?

(21:51) What can you do?

(22:58) Final thoughts and next steps

The original text contained 2 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.

The original text contained 2 images which were described by AI.

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First published:

November 27th, 2024

Source:

https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/m5jGFzYpNJiLyQ9DF/rekindling-the-fire-principles-first-ea-groups-as-a-path-to

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

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TL;DR: Applications are closing soon for this year's EAGxSingapore happening on December 14-15.

Apply now for this year's EAGxSingapore! 

Join us from December 14 to 15 - this year's EAGxSingapore will build on the knowledge and successes of past conferences in Southeast Asia and aim to balance accessibility with higher-context EA material through networking, talks, and more!

Applications

The deadline for applications is on November 30, 2024. Spots are limited and applications will be considered on a rolling basis, so please apply soon!

When and Where

From Saturday, December 14 until Sunday, December 15 in the world-class Suntec Convention & Exhibition Center located at 1 Raffles Blvd, Singapore.

Who

EAGxSingapore is intended for both individuals new to the effective altruism (EA) community and those already professionally engaged with EA, mostly focusing on attendees based in Southeast and East Asia.

We believe the conference will be of value to those [...]

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Outline:

(00:07) TL;DR: Applications are closing soon for this year's EAGxSingapore happening on December 14-15.

(00:29) Apply now for this year's EAGxSingapore!

(00:50) Applications

(01:04) When and Where

(01:18) Who

(02:01) Schedule

(02:11) Travel expenses

(02:29) Contact Us

(02:39) EAGxSingapore ‘24 Organizers

The original text contained 1 image which was described by AI.

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First published:

November 25th, 2024

Source:

https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/ygKf2PhKAFdaogHJy/apply-by-nov-30-eagxsingapore-in-december

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

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Key takeaways:

• Worry about the negative effects of AI has increased since April and June, 2023.
• Most US adults still only report worrying Not at all (19%) or Only a little bit (41%), compared with A fair amount (27%), A lot (11%), and Nearly all the time (3%), in their daily lives.
• US adults tended to agree more with outlooks focusing on serious danger from or ethical risks associated with AI, than with the idea that we should be accelerating AI.

The results presented here are based upon the responses of 4,890 US adults[1], who completed the Pulse survey between July and September 2024. The full report can be accessed on our website or as a PDF, which includes more detailed methodological and background information.

Attitudes towards Artificial Intelligence

AI worry

Respondents were asked to indicate the extent to which they worried about the impact AI might [...]

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Outline:

(01:02) Attitudes towards Artificial Intelligence

(01:07) AI worry

(02:44) Stances on costs and benefits of AI

The original text contained 1 footnote which was omitted from this narration.

The original text contained 9 images which were described by AI.

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First published:

November 27th, 2024

Source:

https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/WyHaE5SkQkXG2AniQ/pulse-2024-attitudes-towards-artificial-intelligence

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

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Introduction

This payout report covers the Animal Welfare Fund's grantmaking from April 1 2024 to October 1 2024 (6 months). It follows the previous May 2022–March 2024 payout report.

As mentioned in the recently published 2024 review, the Animal Welfare Fund made a conscious decision to increase transparency and prioritize more frequent communications about our work. As part of those efforts, we've resumed regular publication of detailed payout reports after previously reducing our public reporting to focus fund manager capacity on grant evaluations. With additional support now in place, we've streamlined our reporting process to provide comprehensive information about our grants and their intended impact. Given that these are recent grants, outcomes data will not be included in the initial payout reports. We plan to share these reports quarterly to keep the community informed of our grantmaking activities.

• Total funding recommended: $2,438,266
• Total funding paid out: $2,438,266
• Number of [...]

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Outline:

(00:12) Introduction

(02:01) Highlighted Grants

(07:07) Other writings

(08:59) Other Grants We Made During This Time Period

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First published:

November 27th, 2024

Source:

https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/dvPJZSK3bGooCi8CW/animal-welfare-fund-payout-recommendations-from-april-to

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

Key takeaways:

• 54% of US adults report donating to charity, but only a very small minority report using a recognized charity evaluator when doing so (around 2% of donors - of these, the majority reported Charity Navigator, whereas only 2 people reported GiveWell)
• Higher educational attainment was associated with a greater likelihood of reporting having used a recognized charity evaluator.
• US adults tended more towards disagreeing (44%) than agreeing (31%) that it was both possible and morally good for most people in the US to donate 10% of their incomes to help alleviate poverty in low-income countries.
• We estimate that US adults likely underestimate their income relative to the income of the rest of the world

The results presented here are based upon the responses of 4,890 US adults[1], who completed the Pulse survey between July and September 2024. The full report can be accessed on our website [...]

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Outline:

(01:16) Charitable giving behavior and attitudes

(01:50) Donation behavior

(03:56) Attitudes towards a ‘10% pledge’ for most people in the US

(06:32) Beliefs about own income relative to the rest of the world

The original text contained 2 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.

The original text contained 8 images which were described by AI.

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First published:

November 27th, 2024

Source:

https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/4G3pMcjw7TzDMwZh8/pulse-2024-engagement-in-and-perceptions-of-impactful

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

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10 Mistakes I made during our uni group succession

TL;DR 

I badly managed the leadership handover of a vegan uni group I founded. The mistakes I made made everything more stressful and lagged the transition. The mistakes were: Not prioritizing leader selection, sticking with unfit candidates, lacking clear communication, and being overly controlling.

The lessons I learned here made the succession of the other EA uni group I've founded much easier. The lessons were: Use diverse recruitment channels, be very transparent, don't tie your self-worth to the success of the group, trust people and let them lead instead of you.

Intro 

University groups can (and sadly often do) die off, generally when the leader leaves the group without a qualified successor. I believe this is normal. Leadership transition is messy and complicated. Plus being 19-year-old volunteers with zero management experience certainly does not help. I've founded 2 [...]

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Outline:

(00:11) TL;DR

(00:50) Intro

(01:47) Context

(02:41) 1. The Mistake: Not prioritizing finding a good leader.

(03:51) Thoughts on how to find a leader

(04:52) Part A: Mistakes in finding the next leader

(04:58) 2. Thinking that every good volunteer would make a good leader

(06:08) 3. Not letting go of your leader candidate.

(08:01) 4. Not sharing thoughts and expectations with people

(10:02) Good Call: Leaving a team with the leader

(11:14) 5. Not using many channels to find leader candidates

(12:07) Good Call: Talking to People

(12:47) Part B: Actually handing the group over.

(13:07) 6. Still taking managerial responsibilities

(14:18) 7. Not shutting up

(15:30) 8. Being the “savior of the day”

(16:42) Root causes of the mistakes

(16:46) 9. Tying my self-worth to the group

(17:58) 10. Not trusting people

(19:14) Conclusion

The original text contained 1 image which was described by AI.

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First published:

November 27th, 2024

Source:

https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/nCS8JEqAKtjq84hnJ/10-mistakes-i-made-during-our-uni-group-succession-1

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

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Key takeaways:

• We estimate awareness of EA among US adults to be low - <1% when assessed stringently and 2% permissively - although 12% claim awareness of the term.
• We found demographic variation with respect to awareness of EA:
  • Relatively higher awareness was found among those with high educational attainment, those aged between 25-44, as well as those with higher household incomes.
  • Men had higher awareness than women.
  • Awareness tended to be lower among Black/African American respondents relative to White/Caucasian and Asian/Asian American respondents.
• Sentiment towards EA among those who had heard of it was positive (51% positive vs. 38% negative among those stringently aware, and 70% positive, vs. 22% negative among those permissively aware).
• Sentiment towards core ideas of EA among those who had not heard of it was also highly positive (64% positive vs. 9% negative).
• Awareness of EA-associated organizations and people (e.g., GiveWell, Will [...]

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Outline:

(01:58) Population level estimation

(04:12) Demographic subgroup estimates

(07:16) Attitudes towards effective altruism

(08:35) Attitudes among those who have already heard of EA

(09:01) Attitudes among those who have not heard of EA

(11:49) Awareness of EA-related terms, organizations, and people

(11:55) Terms

(13:16) Organizations

(15:09) People

The original text contained 2 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.

The original text contained 15 images which were described by AI.

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First published:

November 27th, 2024

Source:

https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/6xWt7uw3LhrdG45iE/pulse-2024-awareness-and-perceptions-of-effective-altruism

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

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Crossposted on my blog. More addressed to a general audience than an EA audience, but I thought I'd post it anyways.

1

Starry, starry night
Paint your palette blue and gray
Look out on a summer's day
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul

In a sane world, she would be cared for. In our world, she is tortured for her entire life so that we can eat her flesh.

We torment hundreds of billions of animals every year.

We do it because we enjoy the taste of their flesh. Though it would be far easier to feed the world if we did not eat them, we continue to eat them. Most people eat them multiple times a day, paying for gratuitous torment so that they can have a tasty meal. They routinely cause a great deal more mistreatment than the cruelest abusers do. Worse, though [...]

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Outline:

(00:13) 1

(04:13) 2

(07:20) 3

(09:55) 4

The original text contained 4 images which were described by AI.

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First published:

November 26th, 2024

Source:

https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/4LRtMSnQEiSLPqyvo/must-we-hurt-even-the-little-animals

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

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