The author also interviewed Sella Nevo from RAND's Meselson Center, who defended the EA connections in the AI security community. Nevo argued that the EA community has been a primary group advocating for AI safety and security, so it's not surprising that many in the field have interacted with it. He also clarified that his center was not directly involved in the recent White House Executive Order on AI security, although it may have indirectly influenced other parts of it.
Key takeaways:
- The article discusses the influence of the effective altruism (EA) community within the field of AI security and AI security policy circles. EA is an intellectual project that uses evidence and reason to figure out how to benefit others as much as possible.
- Many key players in AI security, including those at RAND Corporation and Anthropic, have connections to the EA community. The RAND Corporation has reportedly influenced the White House's requirements in the AI Executive Order and has received significant funding from EA groups.
- The author argues that the EA community's focus on preventing a future AI catastrophe from destroying humanity is happening to the detriment of a necessary focus on current, measurable AI risks, including bias, misinformation, high-risk applications, and traditional cybersecurity.
- The author suggests that transparency is needed from Big Tech companies and policy leaders, as the influence of the EA community will shape policy, regulation, and AI development for decades to come.