Outputs

Last updated Jul 15, 2022

As of July 2022, we have been running for 50 months. Most grantees are at a relatively early stage with their work and careers. Below we have collated a list of outputs that people have volunteered to share thus far.

This should not be interpreted as an exhaustive list of everything of value that the Centre for Enabling EA Learning & Research (CEEALAR) has produced. We have only included things for which the value can be independently verified. This list likely captures less than half of the actual value.

Total expenses

Money: So far ~£321,000* has been spent on hosting our residents, of which ~£41,000 was contributed by residents. Everything below is a result of that funding.

Time: ~18,600 person-days spent at CEEALAR.

Summary of Outputs

  • 7 internships and 11 jobs earned at EA organisations; 2 PhD places earned;
  • The incubation of 3 EA projects with potential for scaling (including CEEALAR);
  • 36 online course modules followed;
  • 2.5 online course modules produced;
  • 114 posts on the EA Forum, Less Wrong and the AI Alignment Forum (with a total of ~3100 karma);
  • 5 papers published, 2 preprints, 1 submission and 1 revision;
  • 24 other pieces of writing, including blogs, reports and talks;
  • 7 code repositories contributed to;
  • 2 podcasts (with 8 episodes produced at CEEALAR);
  • 5 AI Safety / X-risk events, 1 rationality workshop and 2 EA retreats organised and hosted; 4 EA / X-risk retreats organised;
  • 11 projects (that don't fit into the above) worked on.

See the other tabs above for highlights, and lists of all outputs sorted by cause area, date, grantee and type (see here for a spreadsheet of all the outputs). The tab "Next steps" shows the next steps of a selection of our grantees, following their stay at CEEALAR.

*this is the total cost of the project to date, not including the purchase of the building (£132,276.95 including building survey and conveyancing).

Key:

*C% = percentage counterfactual likelihood of happening without CEEALAR.

**K = Karma on EA Forum, Less Wrong, (Less Wrong; Alignment Forum).

2022 Q2

2022 Q1

2021 Q2

2021 Q1

2020 Q4

  • Meta or Community Building related - CEEALAR - Statement - We had little in the way of concrete outputs this quarter due to diminished numbers (pandemic lockdown)

2020 Q3

  • Animal Welfare related - Rhys Southan - Placement - PhD - Applied to a number of PhD programs in Philosophy and took up a place at Oxford University (Researching “Personal Identity, Value, and Ethics for Animals and AIs”) [40%]
  • Meta or Community Building related - Denisa Pop - Placement - Internship - Incubatee and graduate of Charity Entrepreneurship 2020 Incubation Program [50%]

2020 Q2

2019 Q4

2019 Q3

2019 Q2

2019 Q1

2018 Q4

2018 Q3

Key:

*C% = percentage counterfactual likelihood of happening without CEEALAR.

**K = Karma on EA Forum, Less Wrong, (Less Wrong; Alignment Forum).

AI Alignment

Animal Welfare related

Global Health and Development related

Meta or Community Building

Meta or Community Building related

X-Risks

Key:

*C% = percentage counterfactual likelihood of happening without CEEALAR.

**K = Karma on EA Forum, Less Wrong, (Less Wrong; Alignment Forum).

2022 Q2

2022 Q1

2021 Q4

2021 Q3

2021 Q2

2021 Q1

2020 Q4

  • Meta or Community Building related - CEEALAR - Statement - We had little in the way of concrete outputs this quarter due to diminished numbers (pandemic lockdown)

2020 Q3

2020 Q2

2020 Q1

2019 Q4

2019 Q3

2019 Q2

2019 Q1

2018 Q4

2018 Q3

Key:

*C% = percentage counterfactual likelihood of happening without CEEALAR.

**K = Karma on EA Forum, Less Wrong, (Less Wrong; Alignment Forum).

Aaron Maiwald

Anders Huitfeldt

Anonymous

Anonymous 1

Anonymous 2

Aron Mill

CEEALAR

  • Meta or Community Building related - 2020 Q4 - Statement - We had little in the way of concrete outputs this quarter due to diminished numbers (pandemic lockdown)

Charlie Steiner

Chris Leong

Davide Zagami

David King

  • AI Alignment - 2022 Q1 - Course - AGISF

David Kristoffersson

Denisa Pop

Derek Foster

Frederik Bechtold

Jack Harley

Jaeson Booker

John Maxwell

Justin Shovelain

Kris Gulati

  • Global Health and Development related - 2020 Q3 - Course - Audited M208 (Pure Maths) Linear Algebra and Real Analysis, The Open University
  • Global Health and Development related - 2020 Q3 - Statement - “All together I spent approximately 9/10 months in total at the Hotel [CEEALAR] (I had appendicitis and had a few breaks during my stay). The time at the Hotel was incredibly valuable to me. I completed the first year of a Maths degree via The Open University (with Distinction). On top of this, I self-studied Maths and Statistics (a mixture of Open University and MIT Opencourseware resources), covering pre-calculus, single-variable calculus, multivariable calculus, linear algebra, real analysis, probability theory, and statistical theory/applied statistics. This provided me with the mathematics/statistics knowledge to complete the coursework components at top-tier Economics PhD programmes.The Hotel [CEEALAR] also gave me the time to apply for PhD programmes. Sadly, I didn’t succeed in obtaining scholarships for my target school – The London School of Economics. However, I did receive a fully funded offer to study a two-year MRes in Economics at The University of Glasgow. Conditional upon doing well at Glasgow, the two-year MRes enables me to apply to top-tier PhD programmes afterwards. During my stay, I worked on some academic research (my MSc thesis, and an old anthropology paper), which will help my later PhD applications. I applied for a variety of large grants at OpenPhil and other EA organisations (which weren’t successful). I also applied to a fellowship at Wasteland Research (I reached the final round), which I couldn’t follow up on due to other work commitments (although I hope to apply in the future). Finally, I developed a few research ideas while at the Hotel. I’m now working on obtaining data socio-economic data on academic Economists. I’m also planning on running/hosting an experiment that tries to find the most convincing argument for long-termism. These ideas were conceived at the Hotel and I received a lot of feedback/help from current and previous residents. Counterfactually – if I wasn’t at the Hotel [CEEALAR] – I would have probably only been able to complete half of the Maths/Stats I learned. I probably wouldn’t have applied to any of the scholarships/grants/fellowships because I heard about them via residents at the Hotel. I also probably wouldn’t have had time to focus on completing my older research papers. Similarly, discussions with other residents spurred the new research ideas I’m working on.” [0%]
  • Global Health and Development related - 2020 Q2 - Placement - PhD - Applied to a number of PhD programmes in Economics, and took up a place at Glasgow University
  • Global Health and Development related - 2020 Q1 - Course - Distinctions in M140 (Statistics), The Open University
  • Global Health and Development related - 2020 Q1 - Course - Distinctions in MST125 (Mathematics), The Open University
  • Global Health and Development related - 2019 Q4 - Course - Completed MA100 (Mathematical Methods)[auditing module], London School of Economics
  • Global Health and Development related - 2019 Q4 - Course - Completed GV100 (Intro to Political Theory)[auditing module], London School of Economics
  • Global Health and Development related - 2019 Q4 - Course - Completed ‘Justice’ (Harvard MOOC; Verified Certificate)
  • Global Health and Development related - 2019 Q3 - Course - Distinction in MU123 (Mathematics), The Open University
  • Global Health and Development related - 2019 Q3 - Course - Distinctions in MST124 (Mathematics), The Open University

Laura C

Linda Linsefors

Lucas Teixeira

Luminita Bogatean

Magnus Vinding

  • Animal Welfare related - 2019 Q3 - Idea - “I got the idea to write the book I’m currently writing (“Suffering-Focused Ethics”)”. [50%]
  • Animal Welfare related - 2019 Q3 - Paper (Revising) - Revising journal paper for Between the Species. (“Got feedback and discussion about it I couldn’t have had otherwise; one reviewer happened to be a guest at the hotel [CEEALAR].”)
  • Animal Welfare related - 2018 Q3 - Other writing - Essay - Why Altruists Should Perhaps Not Prioritize Artificial Intelligence: A Lengthy Critique [99%]

Markus Salmela

Matt Goldenberg

Max Carpendale

Michael Aird

Michele Campolo

Nick Stares

Nix Goldowsky-Dill

Peter Barnett

Quinn Dougherty

Rafe Kennedy

RAISE

Rhys Southan

  • Animal Welfare related - 2020 Q3 - Placement - PhD - Applied to a number of PhD programs in Philosophy and took up a place at Oxford University (Researching “Personal Identity, Value, and Ethics for Animals and AIs”) [40%]
  • Animal Welfare related - 2020 Q1 - Other writing - Talk - Accepted to give a talk and a poster to the academic session of EAG 2020 in San Francisco
  • Animal Welfare related - 2019 Q4 - Paper (Submitted) - Wrote an academic philosophy essay about a problem for David Benatar’s pessimism about life and death, and submitted it to an academic journal. [10%]
  • Animal Welfare related - 2019 Q4 - Placement - Job - “I got a paid job writing an index for a book by a well-known moral philosopher. This job will help me continue to financially contribute to the EA Hotel [CEEALAR].” [20%]
  • Animal Welfare related - 2019 Q3 - Other writing - Essay - Published an essay, Re-Orientation, about some of the possible personal and societal implications of sexual orientation conversion drugs that actually work [90%]
  • Animal Welfare related - 2019 Q3 - Placement - Job - Edited and partially rewrote a book on meat, treatment of farmed animals, and alternatives to factory farming (as a paid job [can’t yet name the book or its author due to non-disclosure agreement]) [70%]

Samuel Knoche

Saulius Šimčikas

Severin Seehrich

Simmo Simpson

Theo Knopfer

Toon Alfrink

Vinay Hiremath

Key:

*C% = percentage counterfactual likelihood of happening without CEEALAR.

**K = Karma on EA Forum, Less Wrong, (Less Wrong; Alignment Forum).

Code

Course

Course/event

  • AI Alignment - 2021 Q2 - Quinn Dougherty - AI Safety Camp

Course Module produced

Event

Event - AI Safety

Event - EA Retreat

Event - Organisation

Event - Rationality Workshop

Event - X-risk

  • AI Alignment - 2019 Q4 - - AI Strategy and X-Risk Unconference (AIXSU)

Idea

  • Animal Welfare related - 2019 Q3 - Magnus Vinding - “I got the idea to write the book I’m currently writing (“Suffering-Focused Ethics”)”. [50%]

Other writing - Blog

Other writing - Book Chapter

Other writing - comment

Other writing - Essay

Other writing - Project

Other writing - Report

  • Global Health and Development related - 2020 Q2 - Derek Foster - Some confidential COVID-19-related policy reports [70%]

Other writing - Talk

Paper (Preprint)

Paper (Published)

Paper (Revising)

  • Animal Welfare related - 2019 Q3 - Magnus Vinding - Revising journal paper for Between the Species. (“Got feedback and discussion about it I couldn’t have had otherwise; one reviewer happened to be a guest at the hotel [CEEALAR].”)

Paper (Submitted)

  • Animal Welfare related - 2019 Q4 - Rhys Southan - Wrote an academic philosophy essay about a problem for David Benatar’s pessimism about life and death, and submitted it to an academic journal. [10%]

Placement - Internship

Placement - Job

Placement - PhD

  • Animal Welfare related - 2020 Q3 - Rhys Southan - Applied to a number of PhD programs in Philosophy and took up a place at Oxford University (Researching “Personal Identity, Value, and Ethics for Animals and AIs”) [40%]
  • Global Health and Development related - 2020 Q2 - Kris Gulati - Applied to a number of PhD programmes in Economics, and took up a place at Glasgow University

Podcast

Post (EA/LW/AF)

Project

Statement

  • Meta or Community Building related - 2020 Q4 - CEEALAR - We had little in the way of concrete outputs this quarter due to diminished numbers (pandemic lockdown)
  • Global Health and Development related - 2020 Q3 - Kris Gulati - “All together I spent approximately 9/10 months in total at the Hotel [CEEALAR] (I had appendicitis and had a few breaks during my stay). The time at the Hotel was incredibly valuable to me. I completed the first year of a Maths degree via The Open University (with Distinction). On top of this, I self-studied Maths and Statistics (a mixture of Open University and MIT Opencourseware resources), covering pre-calculus, single-variable calculus, multivariable calculus, linear algebra, real analysis, probability theory, and statistical theory/applied statistics. This provided me with the mathematics/statistics knowledge to complete the coursework components at top-tier Economics PhD programmes.The Hotel [CEEALAR] also gave me the time to apply for PhD programmes. Sadly, I didn’t succeed in obtaining scholarships for my target school – The London School of Economics. However, I did receive a fully funded offer to study a two-year MRes in Economics at The University of Glasgow. Conditional upon doing well at Glasgow, the two-year MRes enables me to apply to top-tier PhD programmes afterwards. During my stay, I worked on some academic research (my MSc thesis, and an old anthropology paper), which will help my later PhD applications. I applied for a variety of large grants at OpenPhil and other EA organisations (which weren’t successful). I also applied to a fellowship at Wasteland Research (I reached the final round), which I couldn’t follow up on due to other work commitments (although I hope to apply in the future). Finally, I developed a few research ideas while at the Hotel. I’m now working on obtaining data socio-economic data on academic Economists. I’m also planning on running/hosting an experiment that tries to find the most convincing argument for long-termism. These ideas were conceived at the Hotel and I received a lot of feedback/help from current and previous residents. Counterfactually – if I wasn’t at the Hotel [CEEALAR] – I would have probably only been able to complete half of the Maths/Stats I learned. I probably wouldn’t have applied to any of the scholarships/grants/fellowships because I heard about them via residents at the Hotel. I also probably wouldn’t have had time to focus on completing my older research papers. Similarly, discussions with other residents spurred the new research ideas I’m working on.” [0%]
  • AI Alignment - 2019 Q3 - Linda Linsefors - “I think the biggest impact EA Hotel did for me, was about self growth. I got a lot of help to improve, but also the time and freedom to explore. I tried some projects that did not lead anywhere, like Code to Give. But getting to explore was necessary for me to figure out what to do. I finally landed on organising, which I’m still doing. AI Safety Support probably would not have existed with out the hotel.” [0%]

Next steps for departing grantees