Great post Evelyn. I feel like the strongest argument against working on x-risk is something like risks of astronomical suffering and cluelessness could be a really bad combination, especially if we have reason to think that lower bound on negative welfare is lower than the upper bound positive welfare.
The future could be bad -> we shouldn't try to ensure there's a future at all? That doesn't follow for me, certainly you wouldn't apply that logic to your own life, right?
That's perhaps a reason to focus on s-Risks instead of x-Risks, but you seemed to be making a stronger claim than that, recommending not working on x-risk. However, there's definitely overlap, most things that could kill us all (unaligned AI, nuclear war, pandemics, climate change) are actually much more likely to just kill lots of people and make life very unpleasant for the survivors.
Thanks! Unfortunately, I don't know much about s-risks, but I think they're equally important and more neglected than x-risks, so I'd love to learn more about them.
in my area (which has many immigrants who are seeking refuge from violence in central america and africa, as well as economic/educational opportunities) immigration/open borders is also favored by the business community---immigrants work for cheap building highways, suburban sprawl, luxury construction and sometimes unpleasant service jobs. meanwhile some local people are un/deremployed---and actually some immigrants and locals are involved in underground economy as their jobs--drugs, sex, guns....------which have health and other costs.
some immigrants are also highly educated and skilled.
if all the people who support open borders also supported say 'open college admission' and 'open neighborhoods and houses and even bank accounts' i might be similarily for it. but saying its an obvious win-win i dont think is true. even immigrants here say ' i have enough people in my apt--go elsewhere'.
unless there is a rational way to figure out where to go i can't see how this idea is 'rational, science based' etc.
Great post Evelyn. I feel like the strongest argument against working on x-risk is something like risks of astronomical suffering and cluelessness could be a really bad combination, especially if we have reason to think that lower bound on negative welfare is lower than the upper bound positive welfare.
The future could be bad -> we shouldn't try to ensure there's a future at all? That doesn't follow for me, certainly you wouldn't apply that logic to your own life, right?
That's perhaps a reason to focus on s-Risks instead of x-Risks, but you seemed to be making a stronger claim than that, recommending not working on x-risk. However, there's definitely overlap, most things that could kill us all (unaligned AI, nuclear war, pandemics, climate change) are actually much more likely to just kill lots of people and make life very unpleasant for the survivors.
Thanks! Unfortunately, I don't know much about s-risks, but I think they're equally important and more neglected than x-risks, so I'd love to learn more about them.
in my area (which has many immigrants who are seeking refuge from violence in central america and africa, as well as economic/educational opportunities) immigration/open borders is also favored by the business community---immigrants work for cheap building highways, suburban sprawl, luxury construction and sometimes unpleasant service jobs. meanwhile some local people are un/deremployed---and actually some immigrants and locals are involved in underground economy as their jobs--drugs, sex, guns....------which have health and other costs.
some immigrants are also highly educated and skilled.
if all the people who support open borders also supported say 'open college admission' and 'open neighborhoods and houses and even bank accounts' i might be similarily for it. but saying its an obvious win-win i dont think is true. even immigrants here say ' i have enough people in my apt--go elsewhere'.
unless there is a rational way to figure out where to go i can't see how this idea is 'rational, science based' etc.
its just an appeal to the invisible hand of god.
sounds nice tho. just like a sermon.