---
client: ea_forum
project_id: curated
narrator: pw
qa: km
narrator_time: 4h
qa_time: 1h30m
---

What We Owe The Future (WWOTF) by Will MacAskill has recently been released with much fanfare. While I strongly agree that future people matter morally and we should act based on this, I think the book isn’t clear enough about MacAskill’s views on longtermist priorities, and to the extent it is it presents a mistaken view of the most promising longtermist interventions.

I argue that MacAskill:

1. Underestimates risk of misaligned AI takeover. 
2. Overestimates risk from stagnation. 
3. Isn’t clear enough about longtermist priorities. 

I highlight and expand on these disagreements in part to contribute to the debate on these topics, but also make a practical recommendation.

Original article:
https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/9Y6Y6qoAigRC7A8eX/my-take-on-what-we-owe-the-future

Narrated for the Effective Altruism Forum by TYPE III AUDIO.

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