EAG Talks

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Everyone will be affected by increasingly powerful AI systems, so everyone should be empowered to understand AI risks. This talk explores how to make AI risk and safety ideas more accessible through the use of engaging analogies. The goal is to provide interesting ways of framing AI risk and safety for both the audience and to share with others.

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Matt from 80,000 Hours offers reflections on hundreds of career conversations he's had. He speaks to some of the core assumptions behind 80k's career recommendations that often go overlooked with special focus on the talent bar in EA direct work and how people should be orienting towards it and pushing themselves to clear it.

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What are the Nordic & Baltic comparative advantages to have a positive impact in the world? This talk explores the unique strengths and opportunities of the Nordic effective altruism community to do good. Drawing on insights from workshops with community builders in the Nordics & Baltic countries, Maria Bækkelie and Laura M. Kull shares patterns, challenges, and ideas for how the region can best contribute to global impact.Maria Bækkelie serves as the Community and Event Manager at Effective Altruism Norway. Her extensive involvement with the Norwegian Effective Altruism community includes co-founding both Gi Effektivt and EA Norway. Prior to her current role, Maria was a Job Board Curator and Designer at 80,000 Hours, and the Managing Director of Gi Effektivt. Additionally, she has experience as a service designer in both the private and public sectors. Maria holds a degree in Industrial Design Engineering from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.Laura Maria Kull is a board member and the introductory fellowship coordinator for Effective Altruism Estonia. She is also a community builder on a local level in Norway as well as an event organizer - currently as the Baltics Lead for the EAGxNordics 2025. Outside of the EA world, she has been working in the public sector on both a local and a European level.

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What if your work could help billions and still feel like a privilege? In this talk, Niklas Fjeldberg explores why animal advocacy is one of the most impactful, neglected, and purpose-driven fields you can enter today. Drawing from his own journey — going from concerned citizen to full-time campaigner at Anima International — he illustrates how accessible and meaningful this path can be, even without prior experience. Whether you're searching for purpose, scale, or neglected opportunities, this session gives you concrete reasons to consider working for animals. Niklas Fjelberg works with Anima International in Norway and has over five years of experience in the animal advocacy movement. His work spans campaigning, corporate outreach, operations, marketing, and organizational development, contributing to initiatives across multiple countries. Niklas is leading efforts to transform the broiler industry in Norway and has successfully helped improve the lives of millions of animals. He plays a central role in shaping strategy and building international capacity within the organization. Niklas holds a degree in mechanical engineering.

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Join Einar Urdshals as he introduces how Singular Learning Theory (SLT) can help advance AI safety. As AI systems grow more powerful, we need to understand how they learn and generalize to ensure they remain aligned. Einar shares how Timaeus applies mathematical frameworks to connect training data, model structure and behavior. Discover why "you are what you eat" applies to AI systems, and how understanding learning dynamics could be key to building AI that reliably acts according to human values.Einar Urdshals is a Researcher at Timaeus where he applies Singular Learning Theory to AI safety challenges. With a background in theoretical physics and mechanistic and developmental interpretability, his recent work focuses on preventing weight exfiltration by studying theoretical limits of model compression.

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Tim LeBon explores two common mental health challenges in the effective altruism community: perfectionism and imposter syndrome. Learn about their causes, what keeps them going, and practical CBT tips to overcome them.Tim is a CBT therapist, author, and speaker with a background in philosophy from Oxford. He’s worked widely with effective altruists, appeared on the 80,000 Hours Podcast, and is the author of ""Wise Therapy"", ""Achieve Your Potential with Positive Psychology"", and ""365 Ways to Be More Stoic"".

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This session explores the ambitious global initiative to develop safe and effective vaccines within 100 days of a pandemic threat's identification. Stig Tollefsen from CEPI discusses the strategic innovations required to achieve this mission, including creating vaccine libraries, establishing global clinical trial networks, and expanding manufacturing capabilities. Learn how this paradigm shift could dramatically reduce pandemic impacts—potentially saving millions of lives and trillions in economic losses—and what scientific and logistical breakthroughs are needed to transform our pandemic response capabilities from reactive to proactive.Stig Tollefsen is Lead at Research and Development Innovations department at Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and is overseeing multiple call for proposals in CEPI, among them several rounds of COVID-19 vaccine development calls. He established and launched CEPI’s TechTalks platform as an interactive meeting platform between vaccine and technology developers and CEPI internal experts, having conducted more than 600 TechTalks since 2019. The main activity is e-scouting for innovative technologies across the globe that can enable CEPI’s 100 Days Mission for vaccine development. Stig is an immunologist with a PhD from the University of Oslo, with expertise in T-cell responses in autoimmune diseases and working with DNA vaccination, as well as working with adaptive immunity in ruminants at the Norwegian Veterinary Institute. He's held strategic roles at CEPI since 2019.

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Our global food system drives some of the most urgent challenges of our time — from systematic animal suffering to climate breakdown. Veganism offers a simple, exponentially scalable, and cost-effective solution to these crises. In this talk, Lars Corvinius Olesen and Aimee Alminde argues that veganism deserves a central place within Effective Altruism, not just as a dietary choice but as a transformative moral shift. Challenging the view of other species as resources reshapes our view of sentient beings. They explore how mainstreaming veganism as a systemic solution might be one of the most effective ways to reduce suffering and address more problems than expected.Lars Corvinius Olesen grew up in a traditional Danish farming and fishing community—his family even ran mink farms. Educated with a Master’s in Business Communication and experience in PR and press strategy, Lars has all the skills to sell more shoes and cars—but chose instead to switch careers and sell ideas for a better world. Since going vegan in 2018, he’s used his voice to shift media narratives and build bridges between policymakers, industry leaders, and the public to create lasting change for animals, the planet, and future generations.Aimee Alminde leads volunteer engagement and coordinates local chapters for Dyrenes Alliance. She ensures that regional teams are supported, aligned, and equipped to run high-impact campaigns that advance animal advocacy. By building strong local structures and optimizing volunteer coordination, Aimee helps scale grassroots efforts that contribute to systemic change. Her focus is on enabling others to take effective action — turning motivation into measurable impact for animals, the climate, and the future. She is driven by the belief that well-supported communities are key to creating lasting, large-scale change.

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In this talk, Kari and Ulrik from Gi Effektivt and Giv Effektivt explore how evidence and expert analysis can multiply the impact of your donations by 10 or even 100 times. Learn why some charities are far more effective than others, why giving well is a moral responsibility, and how our minds can mislead us when choosing where to give. Discover how to be a generous superhero - by making your donations save and improve lives as much as possible.Kari Kjørholt is the managing director of Gi Effektivt, the Norwegian effective giving organisation that fundraises for "best-in-class" evidence-based charity interventions. She has several years of experience guiding donors who want to maximise their impact, with deep knowledge of the most effective approaches to global health, poverty alleviation, education, and climate. With an engineering degree from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and a background in the private sector, Kari combines analytical insight with a strong personal commitment to creating a better world.Ulrik Koefoed Johnsen is the managing director of Giv Effektivt, the Danish effective giving organisation that fundraises for "best-in-class" evidence-based charity interventions. He spent several years in Buddhist monasteries and meditation centers before discovering effective giving and earning a degree in economics and philosophy from Copenhagen Business School - blending ethical purpose with the science of doing good. During his studies, Ulrik worked as a personal assistant to a National Geographic photographer and nature conservationist.

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What does responsible AI governance actually look like on the ground—and how can we influence its future directions? In this talk, Uma Kalkar draws on insights from the Global Index on Responsible AI (GIRAI) to explore global trends shaping the future of AI governance. She explores actionable strategies for those working to ensure AI develops in ways that are safe, inclusive, and aligned.Uma Kalkar is a data governance and AI policy expert. She uses strategic foresight to anticipate long-term risks and opportunities in emerging technologies, supporting democratic decision-making and cooperation in the face of accelerating technological change. Her contributions to civic engagement and technology have been recognized by institutions including the Aspen Institute, Forbes, and the Stanford d.school. Her work has been featured by The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and Global News Canada, and she is a frequent speaker on technology futures. Uma is a Rising Leader Fellow at the Aspen Institute UK, a former Aspen Ideas Fellow, and a former Presidential Fellow at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress.