Ryan HOW

Cause Areas of Interest in EA:

• AI strategy & policy

• Global coordination & peace-building

• Long-term future

How did you first get involved with the EA community?

When I was deciding what to study in university, I chanced upon 80,000 hours, which slowly exposed me to the ideas of EA. However, I had only engaged with EA ideas as an individual. I met other like-minded individuals when I joined the inaugural EA SG fellowship, where I really enjoyed discussing EA with them on a weekly basis. So when the chance came to facilitate the next fellowship, I jumped at it. I got to meet more people within the community, and welcome new people to it. It’s a pity my journey began in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, but I’m hopeful for a return to the big in-person meetings of the past.

How has Effective Altruism influenced you in your journey of trying to do the most good?

I have changed my mind about my obligation to help others who are in need, how much to help, and how to help. Peter Singer’s Famine, Affluence, and Morality caused me to reexamine my beliefs about charity. His drowning child argument presents a strong case for the act of helping the child to be required rather than supererogatory, which is applicable to at least a small set of charities operating today. Nate Soares’ On Caring has provided me a clear way of putting a number to how much I care about different issues, and Giving What We Can guides my thinking on how much to donate. Reading the work of different charity evaluators, including GiveWell, Open Philanthropy Project, Giving What We Can, informs my donation decisions. Of course, 80,000 hours also guides my thinking on how to do the most good using my career.

What interests you the most about being a part of the EA community?

There are so many things that the EA community gives, but if I had to choose one, I would say it’s the many opportunities to meet different people who are all trying to do more good. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, the conversations I’ve had with others within the EA community have given me fresh perspectives on the different paths one can take to have a positive impact on the world. Being the young person I am, I appreciate hearing from others who are further ahead in their lives, because there’s so much for me to learn.

What would you like to see more in your EA community?

If it’s possible, I would like to see more of us coming together regularly to do activities which might not necessarily be EA-related. I find it hard to think of activities which are light-hearted yet attract a regular crowd from within the EA community, and I feel something is missing if I only get to know other people through intellectual discussions or socials. Possible ideas I have include exercising, doing sports or going out into nature together.

How are you working on building a career that is EA-aligned?

Being in the early stages of my career, I’m still exploring what I want from my job, what energises me, what I am—or could potentially be—good at. I’m positioning myself to focus on the intersection between AI and great-power conflict, the former possibly being a variable in the latter. The roles in these areas are probably policy and research based, which overlap nicely with what I’m currently studying, Philosophy, Politics and Economics.

Can you share one (random) fact which you think most people would not know about?

I used to be a dancer for 6 years! But I’ve forgotten it all now.