The problem(s) with utilitarianism
Our favorite moral philosophy is about to come under increasing strain.
The world appears to have recently discovered Effective Altruism, a concept that has gained attention in the national press as the debate over AI safety and regulation intensifies. EA, as it's known, has been a cross between a Berkeley technohippie cult and an intellectual sideshow that provided a pleasant distraction for nerds from mainstream political debates. The focus on AI has led to many tech professionals, particularly those at Anthropic, being heavily influenced by EA discussions.
As AI becomes increasingly important, the outside world is just now discovering this unique aspect of our culture. Mainstream news outlets are now publishing articles such as "This well-meaning ideology fueling AI panic has a dark side" and "How Effective Altruism Took Over the World." These articles raise concerns about the far-out ideas in the EA community, such as those proposed by the Bentham's Bulldog blog.
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