I get that many critics disagree about the AI spending rather than the bednets. But even on AI, it seems like OP/CG gets all the hate because they understood what was happening early and tried to do something positive, while the large foundations that did nothing go unnoticed
November 3, 2026 at 1:43 PM
I get that many critics disagree about the AI spending rather than the bednets. But even on AI, it seems like OP/CG gets all the hate because they understood what was happening early and tried to do something positive, while the large foundations that did nothing go unnoticed
This is why all the (it’s mostly just about bednets/look at all the good that Give Well has done) EA apologists can fuck right off. Clean out your house.
October 30, 2026 at 12:11 AM
This is why all the (it’s mostly just about bednets/look at all the good that Give Well has done) EA apologists can fuck right off. Clean out your house.
Coefficient Giving commits future equity from its AI and biosecurity investments to AMF
#malaria #charity #bednets #impact
www.againstmalaria.com/NewsItem.asp...
#malaria #charity #bednets #impact
www.againstmalaria.com/NewsItem.asp...
Against Malaria: Coefficient Giving commits future equity from its AI and biosecurity investments to AMF
AMF is excited to announce a new commitment from Coefficient Giving (CG), a supporter of AMF for 15 years, whose largest-ever grant, made in August 2026, is funding AMF net campaigns in the Democratic...
www.againstmalaria.com
October 26, 2026 at 9:33 PM
Coefficient Giving commits future equity from its AI and biosecurity investments to AMF
#malaria #charity #bednets #impact
www.againstmalaria.com/NewsItem.asp...
#malaria #charity #bednets #impact
www.againstmalaria.com/NewsItem.asp...
Dario's line of reasoning could be used to justify atrocities, like buying bednets for people over the age of 5.
October 15, 2026 at 3:14 PM
Dario's line of reasoning could be used to justify atrocities, like buying bednets for people over the age of 5.
Well, some of us EAs are literally thinking about literal galaxy brains. But then, in the light of normative uncertainty and practical action, giving our money to the bednets and resilient food charities. (I do the galaxy brains at work instead.)
October 14, 2026 at 10:12 PM
Well, some of us EAs are literally thinking about literal galaxy brains. But then, in the light of normative uncertainty and practical action, giving our money to the bednets and resilient food charities. (I do the galaxy brains at work instead.)
Effective Altruism is about asking questions. It’s being judged by its loudest minority. - Abi Olvera abio.substack.com/p/effective-al… #AI #EA
October 8, 2026 at 10:52 PM
Effective Altruism is about asking questions. It’s being judged by its loudest minority. - Abi Olvera abio.substack.com/p/effective-al… #AI #EA
Effective Altruism is about asking questions. It’s being judged by its loudest minority.
abio.substack.com/p/effective-...
abio.substack.com/p/effective-...
Effective Altruism is about asking questions. It’s being judged by its loudest minority.
The movement that funded bednets and cheap housing is now known for saying AI will kill us all. Many of its members, even in AI safety, don’t share that view.
abio.substack.com
October 8, 2026 at 8:10 PM
Effective Altruism is about asking questions. It’s being judged by its loudest minority.
abio.substack.com/p/effective-...
abio.substack.com/p/effective-...
Malaria control health interventions are to control the vector (mosquitoes): Reduce standing water; insecticides; insecticide-impregnated bednets. Plus anti-malarial meds.
Tobacco Control interventions are to control PEOPLE: Sin taxes and bans, and misinformation about relative risks.
Tobacco Control interventions are to control PEOPLE: Sin taxes and bans, and misinformation about relative risks.
Global #people infected by blood sucking insects vs #killed. Smoking kills 10x as many people as mosquitoes. We now know how to prevent most deaths from smoking but tobacco control perversely obstructs implementation!
@algore09algor.bsky.social @chancethegardener.bsky.social @jgitchell.bsky.social
@algore09algor.bsky.social @chancethegardener.bsky.social @jgitchell.bsky.social
October 4, 2026 at 4:11 PM
Malaria control health interventions are to control the vector (mosquitoes): Reduce standing water; insecticides; insecticide-impregnated bednets. Plus anti-malarial meds.
Tobacco Control interventions are to control PEOPLE: Sin taxes and bans, and misinformation about relative risks.
Tobacco Control interventions are to control PEOPLE: Sin taxes and bans, and misinformation about relative risks.
What does this have to do with Musk killing USAID though? Is the claim that rationalists convinced Musk to be a racist?
I'm pretty sure Siskind was promoting bednets and GiveWell, etc., back in the day, so pretty strange to claim killing USAID was always their end goal
I'm pretty sure Siskind was promoting bednets and GiveWell, etc., back in the day, so pretty strange to claim killing USAID was always their end goal
October 3, 2026 at 11:46 AM
What does this have to do with Musk killing USAID though? Is the claim that rationalists convinced Musk to be a racist?
I'm pretty sure Siskind was promoting bednets and GiveWell, etc., back in the day, so pretty strange to claim killing USAID was always their end goal
I'm pretty sure Siskind was promoting bednets and GiveWell, etc., back in the day, so pretty strange to claim killing USAID was always their end goal
Sometimes but:
1) I am flawed and do not always act to max social welfare. Wish I could without burning out!
2) Partner and I donate at least 10% annually to effective charities before spending on luxury goods
3) If the gov raised my taxes to fund more bednets I'd be very happy!
1) I am flawed and do not always act to max social welfare. Wish I could without burning out!
2) Partner and I donate at least 10% annually to effective charities before spending on luxury goods
3) If the gov raised my taxes to fund more bednets I'd be very happy!
September 27, 2026 at 12:34 AM
Sometimes but:
1) I am flawed and do not always act to max social welfare. Wish I could without burning out!
2) Partner and I donate at least 10% annually to effective charities before spending on luxury goods
3) If the gov raised my taxes to fund more bednets I'd be very happy!
1) I am flawed and do not always act to max social welfare. Wish I could without burning out!
2) Partner and I donate at least 10% annually to effective charities before spending on luxury goods
3) If the gov raised my taxes to fund more bednets I'd be very happy!
The bednets benchmark is $3-5k per life saved. Naturally not every one of these rescues prevents a death, but against all the other philanthropic opportunities for multimillionaires out there?
September 24, 2026 at 7:57 PM
The bednets benchmark is $3-5k per life saved. Naturally not every one of these rescues prevents a death, but against all the other philanthropic opportunities for multimillionaires out there?
Three very different focuses have all been popular in the EA community since the beginning: effective giving in global health and development (e.g., donating to the kinds of organizations @givewell recommends, which do things like distribute bednets to prevent the spread of malaria),
September 24, 2026 at 12:20 AM
Three very different focuses have all been popular in the EA community since the beginning: effective giving in global health and development (e.g., donating to the kinds of organizations @givewell recommends, which do things like distribute bednets to prevent the spread of malaria),
This is a pretty good, succinct explanation of the problem with 2026 effective altruism's pivot from bednets to AI doom risk:
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
Opinion | This well-meaning ideology fueling AI panic has a dark side
Effective altruism’s prophecy of risks from artificial intelligence could be self-fulfilling.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 22, 2026 at 6:02 PM
This is a pretty good, succinct explanation of the problem with 2026 effective altruism's pivot from bednets to AI doom risk:
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
Yes, in the sense that this was how leaders at the Centre of Effective Altruism approached community building.
You could get people interested by talking about effectiveness of malarial bednets, and they observed that a bunch moved from global poverty & health to the x-risk pipeline over time.
You could get people interested by talking about effectiveness of malarial bednets, and they observed that a bunch moved from global poverty & health to the x-risk pipeline over time.
September 22, 2026 at 11:35 PM
Yes, in the sense that this was how leaders at the Centre of Effective Altruism approached community building.
You could get people interested by talking about effectiveness of malarial bednets, and they observed that a bunch moved from global poverty & health to the x-risk pipeline over time.
You could get people interested by talking about effectiveness of malarial bednets, and they observed that a bunch moved from global poverty & health to the x-risk pipeline over time.
Effective Altruism and Longtermism have some (very unfortunate) overlap, but a lot of EA has been malaria bednets and digging wells.
September 22, 2026 at 2:35 PM
Effective Altruism and Longtermism have some (very unfortunate) overlap, but a lot of EA has been malaria bednets and digging wells.
USAID and CDC began distributing insecticide treated bednets in 2005, six years before the term effective altruism was coined.
September 21, 2026 at 3:46 PM
USAID and CDC began distributing insecticide treated bednets in 2005, six years before the term effective altruism was coined.
Maybe USAID should have gone out there saying "we should cut funding to the arts and put it all into bednets"
September 21, 2026 at 3:55 PM
Maybe USAID should have gone out there saying "we should cut funding to the arts and put it all into bednets"
I think the effective altruists were better at marketing. People engage with things that you can argue about. The EAs have a strident moral philosophy that you can debate. Hard to really argue against bednets.
September 21, 2026 at 3:51 PM
I think the effective altruists were better at marketing. People engage with things that you can argue about. The EAs have a strident moral philosophy that you can debate. Hard to really argue against bednets.
One theory: Pepfar was always more loved than PMI so maybe bednets didn't feel like their main *thing*
September 21, 2026 at 3:48 PM
One theory: Pepfar was always more loved than PMI so maybe bednets didn't feel like their main *thing*
Bednets, intl food aid, vaccines, information. But every second I spend considering any of this (incl eg 80k hrs) is a second I’m not spending cultivating a polity to, say, restore usaid
September 19, 2026 at 12:27 PM
Bednets, intl food aid, vaccines, information. But every second I spend considering any of this (incl eg 80k hrs) is a second I’m not spending cultivating a polity to, say, restore usaid
fucking crypto, I swear. I wonder what the net reduction in bednets is b/c we allowed those charlatans to stick around
September 18, 2026 at 5:53 PM
fucking crypto, I swear. I wonder what the net reduction in bednets is b/c we allowed those charlatans to stick around
BedNets especially, the connection is obvious.
Where do the rare earth metals that computer technology depends on primarily come from? And what is one of the biggest medical risks in the area to the miners? And what is the most cost effective way to reduce that risk?
Where do the rare earth metals that computer technology depends on primarily come from? And what is one of the biggest medical risks in the area to the miners? And what is the most cost effective way to reduce that risk?
September 19, 2026 at 11:28 AM
BedNets especially, the connection is obvious.
Where do the rare earth metals that computer technology depends on primarily come from? And what is one of the biggest medical risks in the area to the miners? And what is the most cost effective way to reduce that risk?
Where do the rare earth metals that computer technology depends on primarily come from? And what is one of the biggest medical risks in the area to the miners? And what is the most cost effective way to reduce that risk?
You have described the typical EA. The link above points out >60% rate global health or animals as their top cause. These are people giving money to GiveWell or Animal Charity Evaluators top charities. Anti-malarial bednets, backed by lots of RCTs, is perhaps the modal donation.
September 19, 2026 at 9:09 AM
You have described the typical EA. The link above points out >60% rate global health or animals as their top cause. These are people giving money to GiveWell or Animal Charity Evaluators top charities. Anti-malarial bednets, backed by lots of RCTs, is perhaps the modal donation.
Next you'll be telling me that there are still a lot of effective altruists who just spend a bunch of money on bednets and diarrhoea medicine
September 18, 2026 at 12:15 PM
Next you'll be telling me that there are still a lot of effective altruists who just spend a bunch of money on bednets and diarrhoea medicine
Being an expert on fraud doesn’t make EA homogeneous on this matter? I don’t don’t think, say, thousands of GiveWell donors are doing an elaborate cover for longtermism by spending money on bednets. I would suspect you don’t think this either. Is it possible some people are? Sure. Is it common? No.
September 18, 2026 at 11:48 PM
Being an expert on fraud doesn’t make EA homogeneous on this matter? I don’t don’t think, say, thousands of GiveWell donors are doing an elaborate cover for longtermism by spending money on bednets. I would suspect you don’t think this either. Is it possible some people are? Sure. Is it common? No.