Is Effective Altruism Blind to the Biggest Problems? – Sam Harris & Will MacAskill

Will MacAskill revisits effective altruism on the 10th anniversary of his book, "Doing Good Better," addressing its growth, impact, and areas of focus. Despite a setback from the FTX controversy, donations to effective nonprofits are growing, with an estimated $2 billion a year being moved to effective nonprofits. MacAskill highlights global health and development, animal welfare, pandemic preparedness, and AI as key areas. He defends the importance of exploring seemingly weird ethical ideas, referencing the early Quakers and their role in the abolitionist movement. The conversation explores the tension between alleviating suffering and promoting human flourishing, questioning whether EA's focus on quantifiable targets might overlook critical, harder-to-measure problems, such as the influence of social media and political polarization.