Call For a University of Minnesota EA Group

This morning, I got an email from Meetup telling me that the EA Twin Cities Meetup group was on the verge of being disbanded. It reminded me of something I’d periodically thought about: the presence (or lack) of EA in the Twin Cities (and Minnesota more broadly). Ironically, my motivation for considering this is quite personal and identitarian: I am proud to be a Minnesotan (despite going to Wisconsin–Madison not once but twice). It doesn’t feel right to know that soon, Minnesota may be one of the few midwestern states without an established EA presence. 

The juxtaposition of EA in Minnesota and Wisconsin is a case study in the impact of beginning and maintaining local EA groups, particularly in universities. Back in 2020, the situations of the two were almost reversed: EA Twin Cities seems to have been more active back then, while the Madison EA group was fizzling out. But thanks to the initial efforts of EA UW–Madison’s founders (ironically, two Minnesotans and a Texan) and the efforts of subsequent leaderships, EA has returned to Madison with force. Now, you can’t walk around the campus without seeing posters about veganism, there’s a thriving AI safety community with (by my estimate) over 100 members, and many people (including me!) have changed their careers and life trajectories because of this group. It spooks me to think that my choice to go to UW–Madison over the U of M—essentially a coin toss—ended up being so pivotal because one had a group and the other did not. It makes me sad to think of the number of people from the U of M who might now be pursuing effective careers (and part of an awesome community!) had they had a university group which supported and guided them. 

I don't say this lightly, but being a good founder of a university group is probably a lot more impactful than you imagine. It's true that people like me would've had these ideas floating around their heads anyway. But having a place where they can congregate and build on work from others is what turns thought into action, possibilities into realities. You could be the start of that. 

For about a month between my spring and summer semesters at Madison, I will probably be returning home to Minnesota. In that month, I’m making it a goal to jumpstart the EA community in the Twin Cities, particularly at the U of M. In that time, I hope to find even just one person who will be a good organizer who can revive the EA community in the Twin Cities. Please reach out to me at [email protected] if you or someone you know would be interested in becoming that organizer. There are also some boilerplate resources here as well as more personalized support through the Organizer Support Program.