GCRI Statement on the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

Post Date March 03, 2022
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Category news coverage, news summary, nuclear war, statement

The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine is already shaping up to be an event of historic proportions. This includes, but is certainly not limited to, its implications for global catastrophic risk. We at GCRI are monitoring the unfolding events with great concern. While it is always important to understand all parties’ perspectives on a conflict, in this case we find ourselves strongly condemning the actions of the Russian government. Our hearts go out to the many people in Ukraine who have been tragically affected by …

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February Newsletter: Ukraine & Pluralism

Post Date February 28, 2022
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Category ethics, newsletter, nuclear war

Dear friends,

We at GCRI are watching the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine with great concern. In addition to the grave harm being inflicted on the Ukrainian people, this invasion also constitutes a large escalation of tensions between Russia and the West and a shooting war adjacent to several NATO countries. In our judgment, this increases the risk of US-Russia or NATO-Russia nuclear war and accompanying nuclear winter. Our hearts go out to the people of Ukraine who are enduring this tragic violence. For the sake …

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GCRI Statement on Pluralism in the Field of Global Catastrophic Risk

Post Date February 17, 2022
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Category statement

Global catastrophic risk is an important societal issue area. As such, it is to be expected that there will be a variety of views on it. We at GCRI believe that it is important to consider a range of views to better understand the topic of global catastrophic risk and the constructive options for addressing the risk. We are likewise interested in supporting a pluralistic field of global catastrophic risk.

Many types of pluralism can be valuable for the field of global catastrophic risk. Examples include …

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Greening the Universe: The Case for Ecocentric Space Expansion

Post Date February 17, 2022
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Category articles, ethics

View the paper “Greening the Universe: The Case for Ecocentric Space Expansion”

One reason for focusing on global catastrophic risk is because if a global catastrophe occurs, it could prevent human civilization from accomplishing great things in the future. Arguably, some of the greatest things it could accomplish involve expansion into outer space. This paper presents an ecocentric vision for future space expansion, in which human civilization spreads flourishing ecosystems across the cosmos. The paper is part of a broader collection of visions for space exploration …

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December Newsletter: Thank You & Happy New Year

Post Date December 15, 2021
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Category newsletter

Dear friends,

As this year comes to a close, we at GCRI would like to formally express our gratitude for your continued support. Support comes in many forms, and we recognize that not everyone has the ability to support us financially. However, we are lucky enough to receive a variety of other helpful forms of support, such as when someone shares our work, reads our research papers, collaborates with us on projects, introduces us to their colleagues, or just finds time to connect with us. We’ve …

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GCRI Receives $200,000 for 2022 Work on AI

Post Date December 08, 2021
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Category announcement

I am delighted to announce that GCRI has received a new $200,000 donation to fund work on AI in 2022 from Gordon Irlam. Irlam had previously made donations funding AI project work conducted in 2021, 2020, and 2019.

All of us at GCRI are grateful for this donation. We are excited to continue our work addressing AI risk.

Our projects for 2022 cover the following topics:

Continuation of prior projects: We will continue work on select projects from previous years.

Further support for the AI and global catastrophic risk talent pools: This project extends …

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From AI for People to AI for the World and the Universe

Post Date December 01, 2021
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Category articles, artificial intelligence, blogs and newsfeeds, environmental change, ethics, publications, Uncategorized

View the paper “From AI for People to AI for the World and the Universe”

Work on the ethics of artificial intelligence often focuses on the value of AI to human populations. This is seen, for example, in initiatives on AI for People. These initiatives do well to identify some important AI ethics issues, but they fall short by neglecting the ethical importance of nonhumans. This short paper calls for AI ethics to better account for nonhumans, such as by giving initiatives names like “AI for …

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November Newsletter: Year in Review

Post Date November 23, 2021
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Category newsletter

Dear friends,

2021 has been a year of overcoming challenges, of making the most of it under difficult circumstances. The Delta variant dashed hopes for a smooth recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Outbreaks surge even in places with high vaccination rates, raising questions of when or even if the pandemic will ever end. As we at GCRI are abundantly aware, it could be a lot worse. But it has still been bad, and we send our condolences to those who have lost loved ones.Despite the circumstances, …

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2021 Annual Report

Post Date November 22, 2021
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Category planning

2021 has been a good year for GCRI. Our productivity is up relative to previous years, boosted by a growing team and rich network of outside collaborators. Our work over the past year is broadly consistent with the plans we outlined one year ago. We have adjusted well to the new realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, aided by the fact that GCRI was designed for remote collaboration from the start. Because of the pandemic, there is a sense in which no one has had a truly great …

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Summary of the 2021 Advising and Collaboration Program

Post Date November 19, 2021
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Category advising and collaboration

In May, GCRI put out an open call for people interested in seeking our advice or collaborating on projects with us. This was a continuation of our successful 2019 and 2020 Advising and Collaboration Programs. We anticipate conducting future iterations of the program in 2022 and beyond. The 2021 Program was made possible by generous support from Gordon Irlam and the Survival and Flourishing Fund.

The GCRI Advising and Collaboration Program is an opportunity for anyone interested in global catastrophic risk to get more involved in the field. There is practically no barrier to entry …

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