Evolution of Effective Altruism

Effective altruism began as a movement focused on maximizing charitable donations towards measurable and impactful causes, such as anti-malaria bed nets and deworming pills. Over time, it transformed into a broader set of existential concerns, including risks from artificial intelligence and catastrophic events like pandemics and nuclear war. This shift has not only expanded the movement's reach but also led to its entanglement with high-profile tech entities like FTX and OpenAI, surprising many observers. The movement now encompasses a range of unconventional ideas, including space governance and improving individual reasoning, indicating a significant departure from its original focus on immediate humanitarian relief.