Deena Mousa: How Much Is A Life Worth? Effective Philanthropy, AI For Good & Global Health

How do you put a price tag on a human life?It sounds like a cold question, but for grant makers, it is the necessary calculus of doing good. In this episode, Ben sits down with Deena Mousa (Open Philanthropy, Coefficient Giving) to discuss the difficult frameworks used to allocate finite resources."Every time you choose whether to take a more dangerous job at a higher wage... you are implicitly putting a price on how much you value a year of your life."We dive into the "Coefficient Dollar," the complexities of measuring pain, and why government procurement might be the world's most underrated problem.WE COVER:The Calculus of Altruism: Using "revealed preference" to value a year of lifeThe Pain Paradox: Why health models struggle to measure sufferingAI for Good: "AI washing" vs. actual capacity buildingSystemic Bottlenecks: Why boring process fixes beat flashy policiesLife Advice: Why you should ignore advice that resonates too much"Often, the people listening to a piece of general advice are exactly the group of people that should be doing the opposite."Contents:00:00 Introduction01:17 Valuing Life and Health05:46 Challenges in Measuring Pain and Health Outcomes13:32 Creative Process and Research Methodology18:38 Journey and Early Experiences22:23 Debate on International Aid and USAID29:20 Impact of AI in Global Health and Development36:25 Overrated or Underrated44:59 Exciting Projects and AI for Good46:14 Balancing Cause Areas and Funding Decisions58:31 Advice for Aspiring Philanthropists and Innovators