Hi all,

I’m a 25-year-old PhD student (just finished my master's) in Turkey, working in wireless communications, with a focus on signal processing, information theory, and physical-layer technologies. I really love the field, especially the math behind it, and while research is sometimes stressful (more than sometimes), I honestly don’t see myself doing anything else long term.

That said, I’ve been engaging with the EA community recently, and I’m unsure how to connect my work with any of the top EA cause areas. The one that feels closest is AI alignment, but I’ve never worked in AI/ML directly. Some people in my field are exploring ML for wireless systems, but that’s still pretty far from core alignment research.

So here’s where I’m stuck:

-Is there a way for someone with my background to make a meaningful contribution to EA-aligned cause areas, without leaving the field I love?

For example, would working on non-terrestrial networks (improving global internet access) be a meaningful contribution to global development or infrastructure resilience?

-Or should I consider earning to give as my primary contribution, while continuing a career I’m good at and love?

-Are there overlooked intersections between wireless/communications and critical EA cause areas like AI safety, biorisk, or catastrophic risk resilience?

-Or should I make a longer-term pivot toward more "core" EA paths, even if that means stepping outside of my comfort zone?

I really want to do something that matters, but I’m starting to feel like there’s no good path that lets me do impactful work and stay true to my core interests. I’d appreciate any guidance.

Thanks in advance!

Hi all,

I’m a 25-year-old PhD student (just finished my master's) in Turkey, working in wireless communications, with a focus on signal processing, information theory, and physical-layer technologies. I really love the field, especially the math behind it, and while research is sometimes stressful (more than sometimes), I honestly don’t see myself doing anything else long term.

That said, I’ve been engaging with the EA community recently, and I’m unsure how to connect my work with any of the top EA cause areas. The one that feels closest is AI alignment, but I’ve never worked in AI/ML directly. Some people in my field are exploring ML for wireless systems, but that’s still pretty far from core alignment research.

So here’s where I’m stuck:

-Is there a way for someone with my background to make a meaningful contribution to EA-aligned cause areas, without leaving the field I love?

For example, would working on non-terrestrial networks (improving global internet access) be a meaningful contribution to global development or infrastructure resilience?

-Or should I consider earning to give as my primary contribution, while continuing a career I’m good at and love?

-Are there overlooked intersections between wireless/communications and critical EA cause areas like AI safety, biorisk, or catastrophic risk resilience?

-Or should I make a longer-term pivot toward more "core" EA paths, even if that means stepping outside of my comfort zone?

I really want to do something that matters, but I’m starting to feel like there’s no good path that lets me do impactful work and stay true to my core interests. I’d appreciate any guidance.

Thanks in advance!