Effective altruism in the age of AGI

Abstract

The Effective Altruism (EA) movement stands at a crossroads, prompting a proposal for a “third way” forward. Instead of being viewed as a legacy movement or strictly refocusing on traditional causes like global health and animal welfare, EA should embrace the mission of ensuring a beneficial transition to a post-AGI society. This involves significantly expanding its cause area focus beyond conventional AI safety to include neglected areas such as AI welfare, AI character, AI persuasion, human power concentration, democracy preservation, and space governance, alongside existing priorities. These expanded domains are critically important, severely neglected, and uniquely amenable to an EA mindset characterized by truth-seeking, scope-sensitivity, and intellectual adaptability. This shift is argued to be necessary because these AGI-related areas represent substantial, often overlooked, opportunities for impact and would revitalize an EA movement currently perceived as intellectually adrift. The approach emphasizes genuine principles-first adaptation to new evidence, prioritizing intellectual cultivation and brave, honest discourse over a restrictive “PR mentality,” and reorienting movement infrastructure like local groups and online platforms towards this broader AGI preparedness. – AI-generated abstract.