I own a company that's closely related to EA. We've been vocal about that relationship and actively acquanting and educating our customers about EA. Almost all of our customers and employees are non-EA's, we operate B2C and we are for-profit.
I no longer think it's in the best interest of my company, and its impact and future survival odds, to have a visual relationship with EA. I do continue to believe its very good to acquaint and educate people about EA principles, but I just think it's too risky associating with it publicly now. I have already been worried about the optics of longtermism (although I'm a longtermist), flying students to conferences and having them stay in fancy hotels (although I believe that to be high EV) and everything immoral Elon Musk does in the name of longtermism, but I could deal with and defend that. However, FTX seemingly plagueing fraud to move more money to effective causes is something I know I won't be able to defend (even when that's high EV), and seems like a net-negative thing to be associated with.
I realize that asking this question might be bad because it could persuade other people and companies to be silent EA's. I also think for some that might be the highest EV course of action.
I'm not new to this forum, but I've chosen to post this anonymously. I look forward to reading your arguments around this question.
The core of EA has always been about using our the most of our will and the best of our reason to do the most good we can. So you can be "EA" even if you disagree with many directions the community has decided to go or forgot, and if individual actors, even powerful members, have made choices you disagree with. For a while, I have disagreed strongly with some of decisions by elites in the EA community, but this commitment to a robust community of different, conflicting voices, with a shared commitment to doing good the best we know how, is what we are about.
So, it might not be the easiest to be associated with EA due to the recent SBF news, but I think it's probably important to show your commitment. And if anyone asks you, it's not about any one billionaire or group of people, but rather about you and your business's commitment to a set of principles.
I think this is a good question to think about. I agree it would continue to be great to endorse the principles rather than the movement. I personally have wondered to what extent I personally and our company should endorse EA, because some of its associations are good, and others maybe not so much. I ended up sometimes talking about EA, but mostly talking about the principles and not actively saying the company or I are EA's. I see a lot of EA aligned companies taking the same approach. This seems like it might be good for both the company, and perhaps al... (read more)