Bad Advice > "The gatekeepers have gone," everyone goes. . . as though the gatekeepers were some sort of terrible inhibition to doing anything good. . . Lacking those gatekeepers now, it's just this big blob out there of, just, sort of, you know, stuff and dross that comes careening...
TLDR: Just pick up the phone. Agree on permissions for information before you share it (see Step 4). I have worked as a professional journalist covering AI for over a year, and during that time, multiple people working in AI safety have asked me for advice on engaging with journalists....
Sources' motivations for talking to journalists are a bit of a puzzle. On the one hand, it's helpful for journalists to work out what those motivations are, to keep sources invested in the relationship. On the other hand, sources behave in perplexing ways, for instance sharing information against their own...
TLDR: Instead of scrutinizing minor errors, ask what process generated the text in front of you, and then update accordingly. Focus on headlines and source attributions. If you work in AI safety, I think you should probably read a bit more news than you do now (though giving advice like...
> Nobody said it was easy > No one ever said it would be this hard > > — Coldplay, The Scientist In the wake of Dylan Matthews’ recent piece on the cost effectiveness of rebuilding Notre Dame, I have seen many people on Twitter hand wave away the demandingness...
Summary This winter, MATS will be running our seventh program. In early-mid 2024, 46% of alumni from our first four programs (Winter 2021-22 to Summer 2023) completed a survey about their career progress since participating in MATS. This report presents key findings from the responses of these 72 alumni. *...
That's right: a neartermist take! Cower before its sublime wrath! The Resurrection of the Author > Here, hold my bee. > > — Someone with beauty in their eye There are many theories of aesthetics that seek to explain the value of art and the nature of beauty. On some...