EAG Talks

Watch on YouTubeOur global food system drives some of the most urgent challenges of our time — from systematic animal suffering to climate breakdown. Veganism offers a simple, exponentially scalable, and cost-effective solution to these crises. In this talk, Lars Corvinius Olesen and Aimee Alminde argues that veganism deserves a central place within Effective Altruism, not just as a dietary choice but as a transformative moral shift. Challenging the view of other species as resources reshapes our view of sentient beings. They explore how mainstreaming veganism as a systemic solution might be one of the most effective ways to reduce suffering and address more problems than expected.Lars Corvinius Olesen grew up in a traditional Danish farming and fishing community—his family even ran mink farms. Educated with a Master’s in Business Communication and experience in PR and press strategy, Lars has all the skills to sell more shoes and cars—but chose instead to switch careers and sell ideas for a better world. Since going vegan in 2018, he’s used his voice to shift media narratives and build bridges between policymakers, industry leaders, and the public to create lasting change for animals, the planet, and future generations.Aimee Alminde leads volunteer engagement and coordinates local chapters for Dyrenes Alliance. She ensures that regional teams are supported, aligned, and equipped to run high-impact campaigns that advance animal advocacy. By building strong local structures and optimizing volunteer coordination, Aimee helps scale grassroots efforts that contribute to systemic change. Her focus is on enabling others to take effective action — turning motivation into measurable impact for animals, the climate, and the future. She is driven by the belief that well-supported communities are key to creating lasting, large-scale change.

Watch on YouTubeIn this talk, Kari and Ulrik from Gi Effektivt and Giv Effektivt explore how evidence and expert analysis can multiply the impact of your donations by 10 or even 100 times. Learn why some charities are far more effective than others, why giving well is a moral responsibility, and how our minds can mislead us when choosing where to give. Discover how to be a generous superhero - by making your donations save and improve lives as much as possible.Kari Kjørholt is the managing director of Gi Effektivt, the Norwegian effective giving organisation that fundraises for "best-in-class" evidence-based charity interventions. She has several years of experience guiding donors who want to maximise their impact, with deep knowledge of the most effective approaches to global health, poverty alleviation, education, and climate. With an engineering degree from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and a background in the private sector, Kari combines analytical insight with a strong personal commitment to creating a better world.Ulrik Koefoed Johnsen is the managing director of Giv Effektivt, the Danish effective giving organisation that fundraises for "best-in-class" evidence-based charity interventions. He spent several years in Buddhist monasteries and meditation centers before discovering effective giving and earning a degree in economics and philosophy from Copenhagen Business School - blending ethical purpose with the science of doing good. During his studies, Ulrik worked as a personal assistant to a National Geographic photographer and nature conservationist.

Watch on YouTubeWhat does responsible AI governance actually look like on the ground—and how can we influence its future directions? In this talk, Uma Kalkar draws on insights from the Global Index on Responsible AI (GIRAI) to explore global trends shaping the future of AI governance. She explores actionable strategies for those working to ensure AI develops in ways that are safe, inclusive, and aligned.Uma Kalkar is a data governance and AI policy expert. She uses strategic foresight to anticipate long-term risks and opportunities in emerging technologies, supporting democratic decision-making and cooperation in the face of accelerating technological change. Her contributions to civic engagement and technology have been recognized by institutions including the Aspen Institute, Forbes, and the Stanford d.school. Her work has been featured by The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and Global News Canada, and she is a frequent speaker on technology futures. Uma is a Rising Leader Fellow at the Aspen Institute UK, a former Aspen Ideas Fellow, and a former Presidential Fellow at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress.

Watch on YouTubeZach Robinson, CEO of the Centre for Effective Altruism, challenges the misconception that EA is populated by "cold, uncaring, spreadsheet-obsessed robots."In this EA Global London 2025 opening talk, he argues that most people in EA are driven BY their feelings—anger about global health gaps, sadness about animal suffering, fear about AI risks—not despite them. The difference? They don't stop at feeling. They act.

Watch on YouTubeIn an environment where global tensions surge, geopolitical rivalries intensify, and debates over expanding arsenals become ever more heated, the risk emerges that instability—fueled by misperceptions, misinterpretations and communication breakdowns—could inadvertently propel us toward a nuclear confrontation. In this context, a new arms race is underway: one that seeks a strategic edge by incorporating advanced AI into nuclear decision-making processes. This talk explores the risks at the AI-nuclear nexus, analyzing how various integrations can influence escalation dynamics and potentially lead to unintended nuclear escalation. Moreover, it discusses what future developments might hold, and examines the platforms where discussions on AI in nuclear decision-making have already begun—offering insights on diplomatic measures that could be employed to avoid catastrophic nuclear risks.Alice Saltini is a Non-Resident Expert on AI at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) and an AI-Nuclear Policy Advisor at the Institute for Security and Technology (IST), specializing in the impact of AI on nuclear decision-making. She advises governments and international organizations on managing AI-related nuclear risks, focusing on mitigating the challenges of integrating AI into military and nuclear weapons systems by translating complex technical concepts into actionable policy insights. She has published extensively on military applications of AI and has developed a general-purpose risk assessment framework for analyzing AI and nuclear risks. Previously, Alice worked at the European Leadership Network, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization and CNS. Alice is part of the Executive Committee for the Younger Generation Leaders Network and was a CENESS-CTBTO Research Fellow. She holds a Master’s degree in Russian Studies and a Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert) in Nonproliferation Studies from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.

Watch on YouTubeInnovation is the key driver of growth and increases in human wellbeing. Investing in innovation can be extremely cost-effective, because the costs of developing and testing new innovations are relatively low, but they can have huge impacts if scaled up by governments or firms to reach millions of people.Michael Kremer, 2019 economics Nobel Laureate, discusses his experience as a researcher developing innovations and as a funder. Kremer co-founded and served as scientific director for USAID's Development Innovation Ventures. Michael also discusses the potential of AI for global health development, including the potential of AI Weather forecasting to reduce poverty and improve food security.Professor Michael Kremer directs the Development Innovation Lab at the University of Chicago, where he is an Economics Professor. He is the joint winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics for the “experimental approach to alleviating global poverty”.

Watch on YouTubeLeadership transitions are pivotal but inevitable moments in an organization's life cycle that can either strengthen or destabilize it—and how it will go is often decided by actions taken months, if not years in advance. Joey Savoie focuses on how teams facing transitions can preserve organizational integrity while leveraging the energy and opportunities of a change in leadership, covering real world examples and actionable principles.Joey Savoie is the co-founder and CEO of Ambitious Impact (formerly “Charity Entrepreneurship”), where he has helped launch over 40 high-impact charities endorsed by evaluators such as GiveWell, Animal Charity Evaluators, and Founders Pledge.

Watch on YouTubeDevelopment economist Rachel Glennerster discusses reasons for optimism in global development despite recent aid cuts and declining international cooperation. She explores how innovation drives human progress and examines advanced market commitments as tools for promoting innovation where social and private benefits are misaligned.Glennerster addresses challenges facing the development sector, including the merger of aid and foreign affairs departments, and shares insights on advocacy strategies that work with governments.Rachel Glennerster is President of the Center for Global Development and a leading development economist. Rachel has pioneered the use of randomized trials to inform policy on health, education, democracy and women’s empowerment, and shaped markets to spur innovation on global challenges like pandemics and climate change.

Watch on YouTubeMost people believe forecasting gets systematically harder over longer time periods — that it is hard to see further through the mists of time. But there are many forecasting questions for which the reverse is true. In this talk, Toby Ord shows how this can be, teasing out a variety of different mechanisms which can make prediction about the further future easier. One upshot is that the prospects of long-term forecasting (and other kinds of systematic enquiry about the long-term future) are more promising than one may have thought.Toby Ord is a philosopher at Oxford University whose work focuses on the big picture questions facing humanity. He co-founded Giving What We Can in 2009 and helped launch the wider effective altruism movement. His 2020 book, "The Precipice," is a landmark exploration of the science and ethics of existential risk.

Watch on YouTubeSaloni Dattani makes the case that data collection isn’t just an academic concern; it’s crucial for policymaking, journalism, and industry, and, in some cases, a matter of life or death.Data collection has changed our understanding of diseases like cholera, tuberculosis and snakebite envenoming; and has been crucial in tracking progress over time and identifying emerging problems.In this talk, Saloni focuses on key global health datasets and how they've helped us grasp the scale, distribution, and changes in disease burden. It will also discuss some of the risks posed by recent funding cuts.Saloni Dattani is a writer, editor, and researcher focused on health, medicine, and meta-science. She is a researcher at Our World in Data, where she writes about trends in global health and the data behind them. She is also a co-founder of Works in Progress, a magazine that explores ideas for improving the world.