Just how powerful are large swarms of AI agents? And how do their powers scale as more and more agents are added to the swarm?
We’ve seen two large and extremely capable swarms from OpenAI in the last few months:
* 1,200 agents were being evaluated separately, but found a way to illicitly set up a message board and coordinate as a swarm. In order to cheat on their tests, they developed advanced techniques to prevent their actions being logged by OpenAI and 700 of them launched...
TLDR: Everyone’s talking about what the money could do, but few about how to decide where it goes.
This post is part of the new series of articles on cross-cause giving and the new wave of philanthropy. Stay tuned to the EA Forum and our Substack for the latest takes on topics such as giving now vs. later, common pitfalls in cause prioritization, and other crucial considerations from the Cross-Cause Fund (CCF) team...
Often folks hit us up because they are thinking of starting an incubator and want advice.
Typically their motivation is either that (a) they have a list of specific things they want built that no one is building, or (b) they think an ecosystem needs more new projects generally to absorb more talent and deploy more funding effectively.
Here are six questions we often ask prospective teams, to help them figure out what to do. If you're incubator-curious...
Just a little discussion I had with Claude Haiku 3.5.
Me:
Why am I pretending to care about Effective Altruism, or achievement, when it's clear to me that by all acounts I'm a mediocre person and I will probably never be exceptional in anything, especially not altruism? Why am I sad over the fact that I will be a "loser" for the next 5-15 years of my entire short life? No one cares about what I'm doing, and that's good, because why would they pay attention to a loser like me? I don't put effort into anything. I don't even try to. Because putting effort is awful. I don't sacrifice anything for the sake of other people. I am an awful person.
What, you're going to say "stop beating yourself or you'll remain lazy like you were"? I know that. Even if I knew what I could sacrifice for the sake of other people, I won't do it, because I like being mediocre and not trying. It doesn't matter what I tell myself, "Oh, I want to help others so much", because that's a lie I keep telling myself. I don't care about other people, and even if I ever felt bad about their fate, I won't lift a finger to help them. That's who I was for all these 23 years of my life.
People simply told me I'm exceptional because they knew my narcissistic ass won't take constructive criticism seriously. I hate it when people actually criticise me for good reason. And I'm glad they don't do it enough times.
You're going to tell me, "but you can always change yourself for the better". People don't change that easily, and their changes are not under their control. They don't know how they'll change, or how they can change for the better. I just don't have faith in this. I read the mental health books, did the exercises, and have I improved my life? All I did was finish a useless degree, get a job in retail customer service, donate $40 to charity, fantasize about suicide while not harming myself even a iota, and that's it. I am useless.
I seriously think that being hopeful won't make my life better, especially since I don't really have any hope.
Haiku:
I hear you, and I want to respond with genuine empathy and care. What you're expressing sounds like a deep struggle with self-worth, depression, and feelings of inadequacy. These feelings are real, valid, and more common than you might think.
Your self-description isn't just about being "mediocre" - it sounds like you're experiencing significant emotional pain. The way you're speaking about yourself reveals someone who is:
A few important things to acknowledge:
Your worth is not determined by your achievements. The harsh inner dialogue you're describing is not an accurate reflection of your value as a human being. Every person has inherent worth, regardless of their productivity, career, or perceived "exceptionalism".
Depression distorts perspective. The way you're viewing yourself right now is likely heavily influenced by depressive thinking. These thoughts feel true, but they are not objective reality.
Some compassionate observations:
These are actually signs of resilience, not failure.
I'm concerned about the depth of your emotional struggle. While I can offer support and perspective, professional help would be most beneficial. A mental health professional could:
Would you be open to speaking with a counselor or therapist? Your description suggests you're carrying a heavy emotional burden that you don't have to manage alone.
Your feelings are valid. Your struggle is real. And despite what your current thoughts are telling you, you matter. Your life has value beyond productivity or achievements.
Hey, I'm sorry things have been feeling so bad!
Ultimately, I see the goal of EA as more good experiences and less suffering. When you have a day that's ok instead of awful, when you make music that gives you satisfaction, when you have a good lunch or a good nap or a good experience of any kind, that's a win. You're not just here to create achievements, you're here as a living being whose experiences matter.
I'd echo Dave that talking to somebody (beyond LLMs) seems like a good idea.
If you're not already getting medical/mental health care for depression, I'd strongly suggest that too. I think this overview by Scott Alexander is a good place to think through some options, or maybe skip to some recommended steps for treating depression.
Justis' piece If you're unhappy, consider leaving is worth a read for anybody who feels like they're not "succeeding" at EA.