SneerClub

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Hurling ordure at the TREACLES, especially those closely related to LessWrong.

AI-Industrial-Complex grift is fine as long as it sufficiently relates to the AI doom from the TREACLES. (Though TechTakes may be more suitable.)

This is sneer club, not debate club. Unless it's amusing debate.

[Especially don't debate the race scientists, if any sneak in - we ban and delete them as unsuitable for the server.]

founded 1 year ago

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self@awful.systems

blakestacey@awful.systems

dgerard@awful.systems

oh no, the organisation founded by a Swedish EA with a racism scandal is defunct! No, not that one, the other one (www.futureofhumanityinstitute.org)

submitted 7 months ago by dgerard@awful.systems to c/sneerclub@awful.systems

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[–] Architeuthis@awful.systems 17 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (3 children)

Over time FHI faced increasing administrative headwinds within the Faculty of Philosophy (the Institute’s organizational home). Starting in 2020, the Faculty imposed a freeze on fundraising and hiring. In late 2023, the Faculty of Philosophy decided that the contracts of the remaining FHI staff would not be renewed. On 16 April 2024, the Institute was closed down.

Sound like Oxford increasingly did not want anything to do with them.

edit: Here's a 94 page "final report" that seems more geared towards a rationalist audience.

Wonder what this was about:

Why we failed [...] There also needs to be an understanding of how to communicate across organizational communities. When epistemic and communicative practices diverge too much, misunderstandings proliferate. Several times we made serious missteps in our communications with other parts of the university because we misunderstood how the message would be received. Finding friendly local translators and bridgebuilders is important.

[–] froztbyte@awful.systems 18 points 7 months ago (2 children)

everything in that "why we failed" breakdown is a work of art each to itself. babbie's first interaction with the real world each and every one of 'em

[–] dgerard@awful.systems 17 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

FHI was basically funded by one guy, James Martin - a computer millionaire. (His Wikipedia article misses the source of his wealth, but he owned a private island and the Oxford Martin School donation was the largest single donation in Oxford University's history.) He died in 2013. Its days were numbered at that point. https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/about/founder/

[–] dgerard@awful.systems 15 points 7 months ago (1 children)

remember that LessWrong used to be a joint SIAI (as was) and FHI project, with FHI supplying the academic cover

[–] froztbyte@awful.systems 8 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I would guess it likely has a bit more cover/funding these days

but I was wondering the other day whether the setup was in any way resilient...

[–] dgerard@awful.systems 10 points 7 months ago (1 children)

well now LW/MIRI runs on ethereum

FHI didn't seem to manage to tap into that tho

[–] froztbyte@awful.systems 11 points 7 months ago

not quite entirely what I had in mind, but it will be interesting to see what happens with that down the way as well

[–] Amoeba_Girl@awful.systems 11 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Yeah it's a bit of a relief to see everyone around him apparently knew he was a hack. Might have wanted to act on it sooner though!!

[–] froztbyte@awful.systems 8 points 7 months ago

my Perverse Incentives Rule Everything Around Me shirt has people asking a lot of questions already answered by...

[–] mountainriver@awful.systems 5 points 7 months ago

Why we failed: we tried explaining why everyone else was wrong and we were right, but somehow it didn't work. We would have needed outsiders who could have translated our obviously correct explanations to the other outsiders, then it totally would have worked. But our for hire signs with "can you talk stupid?" was misunderstood and defaced. Clearly a more stealthy tactic was needed.