AI Safety: Approaches and Careers
In Part 2 of our AI safety discussion, Max Clarke will discuss the field of AI safety, including research directions, organisations and his own experience pursuing a career in the field. The talk will motivate the arguments behind AI existential risk, and discuss the various approaches being taken to mitigate it. Max will then discuss the various organizations in the field of AI safety, including those that offer training and funding opportunities for those interested in careers in AI safety.
Is Power Seeking AI an Existential Risk?
The recent explosion of progress in the AI field has brought about a lot of excitement about how this technology could benefit humanity, but also great concern about the risks. One such risk is the possibility of creating of power-seeking AI systems with different goals from humanity’s best interests.
The Estimation Game
This week we will be taking part in the March Estimation Game. The Estimation Game is an online game that runs once a month where individuals or teams are asked to come up with a number of back-of-the-envelope estimations and then they can see how their estimates compare to other groups around the world.
Environmental Wins Throughout History
Thinking about climate change can often make us feel hopeless and overwhelmed. However, if we look throughout history there are a number of instances where humanity has achieved remarkable progress on huge environmental issues, such as the the ozone hole and acid rain. This week, Dylan Chambers will be giving a talk on some of these examples, in the hopes of showing that positive change is possible.
This session will be held in room KK204 at Kelburn Campus. While we run events at the university our group is comprised of both students and professionals. Anyone is welcome to join. Please be aware the doors to the university stop automatically opening past 6 pm.
Intro to AI Safety with Zoe Williams
Capabilities in artificial intelligence are increasing at a rapid rate. They have the potential to fundamentally change society and ensuring this goes well may be a global priority
Zoe Williams is the acting co-director of the Institute for AI Policy & Strategy. This event will be a great introduction for those who are considering applying for our AI Safety fellowship.
For more info contact Gavin or Ruben
Rainer Kravets On Running An Animal Welfare Charity
Animal Policy International (API) is a Charity Entrepreneurship incubated organisation advocating for extending New Zealand’s animal welfare standards to imported products. API’s co-founder Rainer Kravets will give an overview of their theory of change, progress to date, and plans for the future.
Guest Talk: Social Value Estimation for Philanthropic Donations within NZ
Maria English is the CEO of ImpactLab, a Wellington based charitable programme assessor.
Using Your Career For Good
Lots of people say that it is important for them to “do good” or “make a difference” in their job. However, they often don’t say what they mean by this, or try to directly compare possible career paths based on this metric.
Introduction to Effective Altruism
Half-priced ($13) all-you-can-eat curry for new members. Come along for great chats and even better curry at the first EA Christchurch social event of the year!
Book Club: Not the End of the World
Join the EA Anywhere team for a discussion of Not the End of the World by Hannah Ritchie, Lead Researcher at Our World in Data. Packed with the latest research it will make you rethink almost everything you’ve been told about the environment. Hannah cuts through the noise by outlining what works, what doesn’t, and what we urgently need to focus on so we can leave a sustainable planet for future generations.
You can request a free digital copy of the book if you're planning to attend. The discussion will cover the book in full, but if you don't get a chance to finish reading before the group, feel free to join anyway! And if the time doesn't work for you, there’ll be another discussion on February 25th at 6:00 pm
Join the #book-club channel in the EA Anywhere Slack to engage with other members and suggest books for future discussions.
Book Club: Not the End of the World
Join the EA Anywhere team for a discussion of Not the End of the World by Hannah Ritchie, Lead Researcher at Our World in Data. Packed with the latest research it will make you rethink almost everything you’ve been told about the environment. Hannah cuts through the noise by outlining what works, what doesn’t, and what we urgently need to focus on so we can leave a sustainable planet for future generations.
You can request a free digital copy of the book if you're planning to attend. The discussion will cover the book in full, but if you don't get a chance to finish reading before the group, feel free to join anyway! And if the time doesn't work for you, there’ll be another discussion on February 26th at 7:00 am
Join the #book-club channel in the EA Anywhere Slack to engage with other members and suggest books for future discussions.
EA Curry Night
Half-priced ($13) all-you-can-eat curry for new members. Come along for great chats and even better curry at the first EA Christchurch social event of the year!
UCSA Clubs Day #2
We’re back! Big plans this semester, starting with UCSA Clubs Day: Tuesday and Wednesday 11-2 at the University of Canterbury.
UCSA Clubs Day #1
We’re back! Big plans this semester, starting with UCSA Clubs Day: Tuesday and Wednesday 11-2 at the University of Canterbury.
Tragic Beliefs & Insect Suffering
This week we will be reading and discussing "Tragic Beliefs" by tobytrem on the EA Forum.
This post discusses insect suffering as an example for whether or not we should accept beliefs that might make our lives worse, but at the same time might be necessary for improving the world.
Note - as a trial, our following meetups will be at Kelburn campus!
Lawn Games at Frank Kitts Park
This week we are meeting at Frank Kitts park to play lawn games. This will be the last event of the year. We will bring Kubb but please feel free to bring your favourite lawn games along too.
Lawn Games at Frank Kitts Park
This week we are meeting at Frank Kitts park to play lawn games. This will be the last event of the year. We will bring Kubb but please feel free to bring your favourite lawn games along too.
Greg Sadler on Policy Advocacy
Greg Sadler, the CEO of Good Ancestors Policy, will discuss his approach to policy advocacy in Australia, give an overview of the major projects GAP has completed and their impact, as well as insight into the work going on behind the scenes.
Artificial DNA Synthesis Regulation
This week Isaac Heron will give a presentation on artificial DNA synthesis, which is currently used by companies to send to research customers all over the world. In theory, even though a bioterrorist could order dangerous DNA from these companies, no country in the world directly legally regulates DNA synthesis companies to make sure this doesn’t happen.
Mount Pleasant Hike
Dave Denkenberger will be leading a hike up Mount Pleasant this Saturday 11th Nov. Great views of Christchurch and Lyttleton Harbour, and interesting discussions. It's about 3 km return and 140 m of gain, around two hour hike (or 3 hours if people are keen for a loop!)
Moral Foundation Theory
This week Josh will be giving a talk on moral foundation theory. Moral foundations theory posits that humans possess a set of innate and universally available psychological systems that form the basis of our moral judgments. Developed by Jonathan Haidt and his colleagues, this theory identifies six primary moral foundations: Care/Harm, Fairness/Cheating, Loyalty/Betrayal, Authority/Subversion, Sanctity/Degradation, and Liberty/Oppression. Each foundation speaks to a specific aspect of human social life and has evolved to address particular adaptive challenges. The degree to which individuals rely on these foundations can vary, often leading to differences in moral values and judgments across cultures and political ideologies.
This session will be held in room RH103 at Pipitea Campus. While we run events at the university our group is comprised of both students and professionals. Anyone is welcome to join. Please be aware the doors to the university stop automatically opening past 6 pm.
The Unjournal: Bridging the Gap Between EA & Academia
Academic research often struggles to be useful for decision-makers or salient to the most pressing real-world problems. Compounding this: a publishing ecosystem plagued by rent-seeking and inefficiency. While the EA community prioritizss impactful research, EA-aligned work often lacks the expert scrutiny needed to enhance its credibility, rigour, and overall influence. The Unjournal aims to harness the strengths of both EA and academia by commissioning credible, quantifiable public evaluations of papers (in economics, social science, and policy) that are decision-relevant to global priorities. Come discuss our model and learn how you can get involved.
You can pre-submit your questions to the Unjournal team. They will be answered during a live Q&A after the presentation. There will also be a chance to ask your questions during the event.
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The event is hosted by EA Anywhere - an online discussion space and a touchpoint for people without local EA groups nearby. If you want to get more involved, check out their events calendar, subscribe to the monthly newsletter, or join their Slack workspace.
What Should The Purpose Of EA Wellington Be? How Do We Do That?
Why:
To define our purpose as a group, and explore actions we (collectively and individually) can take towards that purpose.
How:
A facilitated workshop, with some combination of breakout groups, individual reflections, and whole room discussions.
Expected to be robust discussion that starts fairly theoretical and ends with some concrete takeaways.
Logistics:
17:30 - 19:00 Tuesday 24th October in RH103
Bring a laptop if possible.
Everyone who is interested in the future of EA Wellington is strongly encouraged to attend.
End of Year Social
Hey EAUoA Club Members! The end of the semester is upon us, and what a rollercoaster it's been. As we gear up for exams and daydream about the upcoming Summer break, let's come together one last time to celebrate the ups, downs, and everything in between. Join us for "Cheers to Impact: An End-of-Semester Celebration"—an evening of camaraderie, inspiration, and well-earned relaxation.
Theme: Dress like your Impact Idol!
Who’s the Petrov, Musk, or Julia Galef in your life? This is your chance to honor someone who’s inspired you to make a difference. The evening will offer not just a glimpse into each other’s fashion sensibilities but also insights into our personal motivations for doing good.
Event Highlights
Games & Trivia— Impact-themed games to test your knowledge and get you engaged. Prizes await the winners!
Chill Zone— A laid-back area for chit-chat and catching up, complete with comfy seating. We'll have some quirky conversation starters for those that are wanting to get their DMC on.
Drinks & Snacks— From drinks to a variety of nibbles, we've got your cravings covered.
Why You Shouldn’t Miss This
Community Bonding— Strengthen ties with club members and make new connections.
Inspiration— Gain and offer fresh perspectives by sharing your Impact Idol stories.
Fun— Let’s be honest, after such a strenuous year, we could all use a night off
Social: Dosa Etc!
Hello everyone, for our last event this year were hosting a social at Dosa Etc! This venue does delicious Indian vegan food.
Come along, bring a friend, and we'll finish this year off together!
Street Address: 10 Hanover Street, Central Dunedin
Time: 6:30pm, 17th October
Stoicism and Effective Altruism
This week Dylan will be giving a talk about stoicism with some reflections on how stoic techniques can help us live better lives and help others.
This session will be held in room RH103 at Pipitea Campus. While we run events at the university our group is comprised of both students and professionals. Anyone is welcome to join. Please be aware the doors to the university stop automatically opening past 6 pm.
Astral Codex Ten Meetup
Astral Codex Ten (ACX) is a popular blog written by Scott Alexander, a psychiatrist based in California. Scott is a member of Giving What We Can and frequently writes about topics relevant to effective altruism.
Twice a year, ACX fans gather in over 80 cities around the world, from Tokyo to Berkely to Punta Cena in the Dominican Republic. And this October we’ll be hosting our annual combined EA Wellington and Astral Codex Ten meetup.
Whether you’ve read 14 essays or never heard the word Astral in your life we’d love to have you along to talk about forecasting, medical drugs, artificial intelligence, and various other research rabbit holes.
This session will be held in room MZ02 at Pipitea Campus. While we run events at the university our group is comprised of both students and professionals. Anyone is welcome to join. Please be aware the doors to the university stop automatically opening past 6 pm.
The Future of Effective Altruism Relies on Effective Giving
Join EA Anywhere and Grace Adams (Head of Marketing at Giving What We Can) for a discussion of the role of effective giving in the EA community. Grace will share why she thinks it's a mistake to ignore effective giving, and how it can unlock the impact that effective altruism seeks to create. You'll also learn practical ways we can all help increase funding to effective charities and projects.
Estimation Game: Extremely Productive People
The Estimation Game is a monthly quiz where EA groups around the world compete to answer questions like “How many piano tuners are there in New York?”. It's a great way to improve your estimation skills and epistemics, while having fun. Keen? Join the EA Anywhere team and help use climb the leaderboard!
This month's topic is "Extremely productive people".
If you're interested in forecasting and estimation, you can also join the #forecasting channel on EA Anywhere Slack.