80,000 Hours - Narrations

Funding for AI safety is surging, but the field needs dozens of new grantmakers to connect that money with impactful projects. Learn what it takes to make effective grants, which backgrounds are a promising signal for your fit, and how to explore this career path. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(00:10) Summary(02:48) Recommended(02:57) Review status(04:27) Why work on grantmaking for AI safety?(06:17) There simply aren't enough grantmakers(06:55) Your work can have extremely high leverage(10:49) You can help your grantees do more good(12:52) The job can be highly fulfilling(14:27) What do grantmakers actually do?(17:33) Could you be a good fit?(17:37) Skills that will help you succeed(22:08) Promising background experience(22:54) Downsides to working on grantmaking(25:09) Top organisations(26:30) How to enter the field(28:21) Find jobs in AI safety grantmaking(28:43) Speak with us(29:04) Learn more(29:07) Notes on the philanthropic situation(29:36) Personal reflections from grantmakers(30:02) Other resources(30:27) Acknowledgements The original text contained 12 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: August 21st, 2026 Source: https://80000hours.org/career-reviews/ai-safety-grantmaking --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

Organisations with influence, financial power, and advanced technology are targeted by actors seeking to steal or abuse these assets. A career in information security is a promising avenue to support high-impact organisations by protecting against these attacks, which have the potential to disrupt an organisation's mission or even increase existential risk. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(00:12) Summary(02:09) Recommended(02:19) Review status(05:26) Why work on AI security?(06:33) Ways to contribute(06:37) Protecting AI from external attackers(08:39) Stopping subversion from misaligned AI ("AI control")(11:28) Verification, compliance, and AI governance(13:39) What's it like to work on AI security?(15:22) Would you be a good fit?(16:58) Useful skills(18:57) Key roles to aim for(21:30) Downsides to working on AI security(22:03) How to enter with a lot of experience(23:15) How to enter early in your career(24:09) Where can this work be done?(24:13) Top organisations to work for(24:45) Smaller organisations(25:07) Grantmakers(25:36) Find jobs in AI cybersecurity(25:46) Speak with us(26:06) Learn more(26:09) External attacks(27:01) AI control(27:31) AI governance(27:47) Acknowledgements The original text contained 5 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: December 19th, 2022 Last updated: June 5th, 2023 Source: https://80000hours.org/career-reviews/ai-security --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO. ---Images from the article:Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.

The US federal government has jurisdiction over the most prominent AI companies in the world — and the people working inside it may have more influence over AI's future than almost anyone else. But government AI policy work is hard to break into, politically constrained, and carries a real risk of doing harm. Learn what it actually takes to build a career in US government AI policy: which roles and agencies matter most, what skills you'll need beyond technical expertise, and how to think honestly about whether Washington's political culture is a place where you'll thrive. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(00:10) Summary(01:50) Recommended(02:00) Review status(02:05) Why work in AI policy within the US government?(04:04) Would you be a good fit?(04:08) What skills are needed to succeed?(06:02) What experience is useful(07:02) What else do you need?(08:12) Downsides to working in US government AI policy roles(08:18) Risk of doing harm(09:50) Risk of burnout(10:07) Top organisations(10:54) Executive branch(10:59) Executive Office of the President(12:04) Departments and agencies(13:44) Congress(16:38) State governments(17:37) Government contractors(18:42) Next steps(18:46) If you're ready to apply for jobs(18:55) If you need to build career capital(21:04) Speak with us(21:25) Learn more(21:28) Top recommendations(22:36) Further recommendations(23:44) Acknowledgements --- First published: June 11th, 2026 Source: https://80000hours.org/career-reviews/ai-policy-us-government --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

Explore how careers in biosecurity research, policy, and entrepreneurship can help reduce risks like engineered pandemics. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(02:18) Recommended(02:27) Review status(02:32) Why work on pandemic prevention?(02:37) It could save millions of lives(03:32) It isnt very speculative(04:23) There are many tractable approaches(05:27) It doesnt require working on AI(06:28) What does this path involve?(07:39) Technical careers(09:28) Policy careers(11:00) Entrepreneurial and operations careers(13:41) Other careers(14:36) Could you be a good fit?(14:40) The best backgrounds and skill sets(19:24) What do you want from a job?(21:05) Four ways to test your fit(22:51) Guidance for experienced professionals(23:51) Find jobs in pandemic prevention and biosecurity(24:37) Learn more(24:40) Top recommendations(25:20) Other resources(26:17) Further recommendations The original text contained 1 footnote which was omitted from this narration. --- First published: October 19th, 2021 Last updated: April 11th, 2023 Source: https://80000hours.org/career-reviews/pandemic-prevention-biosecurity --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

We all want to find a dream job that’s enjoyable and meaningful, but what does that actually mean?Some people imagine that the answer will come to them in a flash of insight, while others think what matters is that their dream job is easy and well paid.At 80,000 Hours, we’ve reviewed three decades of research into what makes for a satisfying career, drawing on hundreds of studies, and didn’t find much evidence for either conclusion. Instead, we found five key ingredients of a dream job.They don’t include income, nor are they as simple as “following your passion.” What’s crucial is to get good at something that helps other people.Let’s start with where we go wrong.The bottom line:What makes for a dream job?Decades of psychology research suggests there are five key things to look for in a dream job:Work that’s engaging hour-to-hourWork that helps othersSource:https://80000hours.org/career-guide/dream-job/ Narrated by the author. ---Outline:(00:00) What makes for a dream job?(00:35) Where we go wrong(13:59) What you should really aim for in a dream job(21:50) Don't follow your passion — instead, do what matters(24:30) How to put these ideas into practice --- First published: May 12th, 2026 Source: https://80000hours.org/career-guide/dream-job

What if your job was to think carefully about the long-term future of humanity? Macrostrategy research is one of the most neglected (and potentially most important) career paths focused on tackling the world's most pressing problems. We break down what macrostrategy researchers actually do, why the rise of advanced AI makes their work more urgent than ever, and what it takes to succeed in a field where the questions are enormous, the feedback loops are slow, and the number of people working on it can be counted in the dozens. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(00:10) Summary(02:12) Recommended(02:21) Review status(02:26) What is macrostrategy research, and why work on it?(06:08) Why work on macrostrategy research?(08:02) What are the downsides to working on macrostrategy?(08:07) You might struggle to get a job(08:54) It may be difficult to make progress(10:22) It might be hard to influence decision makers(11:31) It might be better to focus on more speculative issues later(13:21) Would you be a good fit for macrostrategy research?(13:26) What skills and traits are needed to succeed?(15:29) What experience is useful?(17:16) Non-research paths(17:52) Example people(17:56) Rose Hadshar(18:53) Top organisations(21:01) Next steps(21:05) If youre ready to apply for jobs(21:27) If you need, test your fit or build career capital first(23:49) If you want to learn more(26:48) Speak with us(26:51) Want one-on-one advice on pursuing this path? The original text contained 4 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: April 16th, 2026 Source: https://80000hours.org/career-reviews/macrostrategy-research --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

The future of AI is difficult to predict. But while AI systems could have substantial positive effects, there's a growing consensus about the dangers of AI. Narrated by the author. ---Outline:(00:00) Risks from power-seeking AI systems(00:16) Introduction(02:08) Summary(03:03) Why are the risks from power-seeking AI a pressing world problem?(04:42) Section 1: Humans will likely build advanced AI systems with long-term goals(10:32) Section 2: AIs with long-term goals may be inclined to seek power(25:26) Section 3: These power-seeking AI systems could successfully disempower humanity(37:33) Section 4. People might create power-seeking AI systems without enough safeguards, despite the risks(46:36) Section 5: Work on this problem is neglected and tractable(58:19) Section 6: What are the arguments against working on this problem?(01:24:07) Section 7: How you can help(01:27:55) Thank you for listening --- First published: July 17th, 2025 Source: https://80000hours.org/problem-profiles/risks-from-power-seeking-ai

When most people think about working on AI safety, they picture research and policy. But there's another, often overlooked path that may actually have more impact — AI safety fieldbuilders are the people who recruit, train, and connect the researchers, policymakers, and communicators who make the whole ecosystem run. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(00:09) Summary(01:42) Recommended(01:52) Review status(03:30) What do fieldbuilders work on?(05:17) Why AI safety fieldbuilding can be highly impactful(05:23) Fieldbuilding works(07:01) AI safety needs more skilled people(09:02) The work is highly neglected(10:05) Helping others lets you multiply your impact(11:52) Potential downsides to working on fieldbuilding(12:04) Career capital may be lower(15:11) The career path isnt as clear(15:55) Technical work often pays better(16:28) Direct work can also grow capacity(17:13) How can fieldbuilding backfire?(19:25) Could you be a good fit?(19:36) Skills that will help you succeed(21:51) Promising professional backgrounds(22:57) How to get started(25:19) Find jobs in AI safety fieldbuilding(26:11) Learn more(26:14) Top recommendations(26:43) Further recommendations The original text contained 8 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: April 9th, 2026 Source: https://80000hours.org/career-reviews/ai-safety-fieldbuilding --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

When most people think about working on AI safety, they picture researchers and policy wonks. But there's a quieter, often overlooked path that may actually have more impact — and it's desperately short of talent. AI safety fieldbuilders are the people who recruit, train, and connect the researchers, policymakers, and communicators who make the whole ecosystem run. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out, this might be the highest-impact career move you've never considered. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(00:09) Summary(01:43) Recommended(01:52) Review status(03:31) What do fieldbuilders work on?(05:18) Why AI safety fieldbuilding can be highly impactful(05:23) Fieldbuilding works(07:02) AI safety needs more skilled people(09:03) The work is highly neglected(10:28) Helping others lets you multiply your impact(12:15) Potential downsides to working on fieldbuilding(12:28) Career capital may be lower(15:37) The 'career path' isn't as clear(16:21) Technical work often pays better(16:53) Direct work can also grow capacity(17:38) How can fieldbuilding backfire?(19:39) Could you be a good fit?(19:50) Skills that will help you succeed(22:05) Promising professional backgrounds(23:11) How to get started(25:39) Find jobs in AI safety fieldbuilding(26:31) Learn more(26:34) Top recommendations(27:15) Further recommendations(28:11) Acknowledgements The original text contained 8 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: April 13th, 2026 Source: https://80000hours.org/career-reviews/ai-safety-fieldbuilding --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

Winning elections is one of the most direct levers on the world's biggest problems — and the field is more open to talented newcomers than you'd think. We make the case for why impact-driven people are exactly what politics needs more of. You'll find an honest look at the real downsides, the skills and backgrounds that transfer surprisingly well, and concrete next steps to get started. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(00:09) Summary(02:13) Two main paths to impact through electoral politics(03:06) Recommended(03:16) Review status(03:21) Why work in US electoral politics?(03:26) Individuals really can make a difference(05:06) Why should you run for office?(07:44) Why should you work for a campaign?(13:26) Elected leadership matters a great deal(17:37) Lower-level offices shape higher-level outcomes.(18:16) Politics is a good option if you expect transformative AI relatively soon.(19:29) Downsides of working in electoral politics(19:34) Downsides to running for office(22:10) Downsides to working on campaigns(24:23) Would you be a good fit for working in electoral politics?(24:28) Skills that will help you succeed(27:07) What experience is useful?(28:43) What else is helpful?(29:10) Top roles and where to work(29:32) Common roles to look for(29:58) Key places to work(31:08) Next steps(32:36) Read next(32:46) Learn more The original text contained 9 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: March 18th, 2026 Source: https://80000hours.org/career-reviews/us-electoral-politics --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

AGI could rapidly transform the world, posing existential risks to humanity. Here’s why working on AI risks could be the most important use of your career. Narrated by the author. ---Outline:(00:00) How artificial intelligence could create the world’s biggest problems(00:19) Introduction(03:41) So how could advanced AI pose the world’s most pressing problems?(08:31) 1. AI could replace human labour in the most economically valuable fields(22:14) 2. Replacing this much human labour could trigger the next radical transformation of society(28:01) 3. This transformation could be extremely rapid and dramatic(36:39) 4. A rapid, AI-driven transformation would raise a range of major challenges, including existential risks(44:47) 5. Work on these problems is tractable but neglected(47:49) Objections and replies(01:27:51) Learn more(01:29:13) Acknowledgements --- First published: February 24th, 2026 Source: https://80000hours.org/problem-profiles/artificial-intelligence

China is a leading country in AI. If you have a background in China you may be able to help ensure its development benefits everyone. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(02:50) Sometimes recommended -- personal fit dependent(03:02) Review status(03:07) Why pursue this path?(03:11) 1. Safely managing the introduction of AI may require unprecedented international coordination.(04:46) 2. Coordination between China and the US on AI safety would require deliberate effort.(05:54) 3. There is growing interest in AI safety and governance in China.(08:20) 4. You could help pioneer the subfield of China-Western coordination on AI safety and governance.(09:45) 5. Gaining and leveraging expertise on China is a promising option in general.(10:49) Arguments against pursuing this path(10:53) 1. It's far from guaranteed you'd have a large impact in this career.(12:53) 2. There is a possibility of doing harm.(14:01) 3. There are potential abuses of AI-enabled technology.(15:10) 4. There are complex international political considerations and uncertainties.(18:09) Do I need to be Chinese to pursue these paths?(20:31) Ideas for where to aim longer term(20:52) AI safety researchers and engineers at top Chinese AI companies(24:01) AI safety researchers and professors at top Chinese AI academic labs(26:26) AI governance researchers at Chinese think tanks and universities(28:43) AI governance researchers at key long-term-focused research groups(30:10) AI safety and interdisciplinary researchers focusing on problems of cooperation(32:46) AI-focused translators and publishing advisors(34:16) AI governance or policy advisors at top Chinese AI companies(37:07) AI governance or policy advisors at top AI companies in the US and UK(39:01) China AI analysts at top think tanks in the US and the UK(40:54) Alternative routes that we haven't investigated(42:20) Personal fit(42:45) Bilingualism and/or cross-cultural communication skills(43:38) Strong networking abilities (especially for policy roles)(44:02) Good judgement and prudence(45:12) Learn more(47:14) Additional resources(47:18) Top recommendations(47:51) Further recommendations The original text contained 23 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: February 10th, 2022 Last updated: February 17th, 2026 Source: https://80000hours.org/career-reviews/china-related-ai-safety-governance --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

What if the next decade doesn't gradually ease us into an AI future, but catapults us through a century's worth of change in less than ten years? This article explores three interconnected 'explosions' that could unfold once AI becomes capable enough to improve itself, revealing how feedback loops — where progress in one area accelerates progress everywhere else — could transform the pace of civilisation faster than most people realise. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(02:10) 1. The intelligence explosion(02:14) Algorithmic feedback loops(06:26) Hardware feedback loops(09:19) Where could this end up?(11:07) 2. The technological explosion(13:33) 3. The industrial explosion(13:38) Robotic worker feedback loops(17:36) A few common counterarguments(20:08) Two views of the future of advanced AI The original text contained 28 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: February 4th, 2026 Source: https://80000hours.org/articles/how-ai-driven-feedback-loops-could-make-things-very-crazy-very-fast --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO. ---Images from the article:Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.

Power is already concentrated today: over 800 million people live on less than $3 a day, the three richest men in the world are worth over $1 trillion, and almost six billion people live in countries without free and fair elections.This is a problem in its own right. There is still substantial distribution of power though: global income inequality is falling, over two billion people live in electoral democracies, no country earns more than a quarter of GDP, and no company earns as much as 1%.But in the future, advanced AI could enable much more extreme power concentration than we’ve seen so far.Many believe that within the next decade the leading AI projects will be able to run millions of superintelligent AI systems thinking many times faster than humans. These systems could displace human workers, leading to much less economic and political power for the vast majority of people; and unless we take action to prevent it, they may end up being controlled by a tiny number of people, with no effective oversight. Once these systems are deployed across the economy, government, and the military, whatever goals they’re built to have will become the primary force shaping the future. If those goals are chosen by the few, then a small number of people could end up with the power to make all of the important decisions about the future. Narrated by a human. ---Outline:(00:00) Introduction(02:15) Summary(07:02) Section 1: Why might AI-enabled power concentration be a pressing problem?(45:02) Section 2: What are the top arguments against working on this problem?(56:36) Section 3: What can you do to help? --- First published: April 24th, 2025 Source: https://80000hours.org/problem-profiles/extreme-power-concentration ---Images from the article:Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.

The US government may be the single most important actor for shaping how AI develops. If you want to improve the trajectory of AI and reduce catastrophic risks, you could have an outsized impact by working on US policy. But the US policy ecosystem is huge and confusing. And policy shaping AI is made by specific people in specific places — so where you work matters enormously. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(01:09) Part 1: How to find the most impactful places to work on AI policy(01:31) Prioritise building career capital(03:37) Work backwards from the most important issues(05:32) Find levers of influence(07:07) Prepare for 'policy windows'(10:21) Consider personal fit(11:44) Part 2: Our best guess at the most impactful places (right now)(11:58) 1. Executive Office of the President(18:43) 2. Federal departments and agencies(24:25) 3. Congress(32:28) 4. State governments(37:47) 5. Think tanks and advocacy organisations(41:04) Conclusion(41:49) Want one-on-one advice on pursuing this path?(42:10) Learn more about how and why to pursue a career in US AI policy(42:16) Top recommendations(43:11) Further reading The original text contained 45 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: November 17th, 2025 Source: https://80000hours.org/articles/the-us-ai-policy-landscape-where-to-have-the-biggest-impact --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO. ---Images from the article:Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.

The arrival of AGI could “compress a century of progress in a decade”, forcing humanity to make decisions with higher stakes than we’ve ever seen before — and with less time to get them right. But AI development also presents an opportunity: we could build and deploy AI tools that help us think more clearly, act more wisely, and coordinate more effectively. And if we roll these decision-making tools out quickly enough, humanity could be far better equipped to navigate the critical period ahead. We’d be excited to see some more people trying to speed up the development and adoption of these tools. We think that for the right person, this path could be very impactful. That said, this is not a mature area. There's significant uncertainty about what work will actually be most useful, and getting involved has potential downside risks. So our guess is that, at this stage, it’d be great if something like a few hundred particularly thoughtful and entrepreneurial people worked on using AI to improve societal decision making. If the field proves promising, they could pave the way for more people to get involved later. Narrated by the author. ---Outline:(00:00) Introduction(00:17) Summary(01:48) Section 1: Why advancing AI decision-making tools might matter a lot(04:55) AI tools could help us make much better decisions(10:00) We might be able to differentially speed up the rollout of AI decision-making tools(12:14) Section 2: What are the arguments against working to advance AI decision-making tools?(25:15) Section 3: How to work in this area(28:46) Want one on one advice?(29:43) Thank you for listening --- Source: https://80000hours.org/problem-profiles/ai-enhanced-decision-making

Become a founder of an organisation tackling one of the world’s most pressing problems. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(01:32) Recommended(01:41) Review status(01:47) Why might founding a new project be high impact?(04:34) What does it take to succeed?(05:05) A good enough idea(06:10) You need to be able to convince donors(09:20) An idea that really motivates you(10:45) Leadership potential(11:20) Generalist skills(12:06) Enough knowledge of the area(12:41) Good judgement(13:02) The ability, willingness, and resilience to work on something that might not work out(13:48) Examples of people pursuing this path(13:53) Helen Toner(14:31) Holden Karnofsky(15:04) Next steps if you already have an idea(19:14) Next steps if you don't have an idea yet(22:49) Lists of ideas(24:16) Podcast episodes with founders(24:53) Want one-on-one advice on pursuing this path? The original text contained 2 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: November 10th, 2021 Last updated: August 11th, 2025 Source: https://80000hours.org/career-reviews/founding-new-organisations --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

This path involves aiming to found new organisations that aim to tackle bottlenecks in the problems we think are most pressing. In particular, it involves identifying an idea, testing it, and then helping to build an organisation by investing in strategy, hiring, management, culture and so on, with the aim that the organisation can continue to function well without you in the long term. Our focus is on non-profit models since they have the greatest need right now, but for-profits can also be a route to impact. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(01:33) Recommended(01:42) Review status(01:48) Why might founding a new project be high impact?(04:35) What does it take to succeed?(05:05) A good enough idea(06:11) You need to be able to convince donors(09:21) An idea that really motivates you(10:45) Leadership potential(11:20) Generalist skills(12:07) Enough knowledge of the area(12:41) Good judgement(13:02) The ability, willingness, and resilience to work on something that might not work out(13:48) Examples of people pursuing this path(13:54) Helen Toner(14:31) Holden Karnofsky(15:05) Next steps if you already have an idea(19:14) Next steps if you don't have an idea yet(22:49) Lists of ideas(24:16) Podcast episodes with founders(24:52) Want one-on-one advice on pursuing this path?(25:11) Learn about other high-impact careers The original text contained 2 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: November 10th, 2021 Last updated: August 11th, 2025 Source: https://80000hours.org/career-reviews/founder-impactful-organisations --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

Being an early employee at a startup is similar to being a startup founder, except (i) the impact and financial return are usually lower (ii) the risk is lower and (iii) the personal demands are lower. It's a promising path if you'd like to found a startup, but don't have a good idea and co-founder, or want a less demanding option. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(00:13) Summary(00:56) Key facts on fit(01:03) Next steps(01:38) Sometimes recommended -- highly competitive(01:49) Review status(01:54) What is this path?(02:57) Why do this job?(05:47) What are some points against this path?(08:12) How can I find a good startup job?(09:44) How can you find a startup that's focused on doing good?(10:18) What are the key differences compared to founding a startup?(11:54) Who should join a startup rather than found?(12:35) Want one-on-one advice on pursuing this path?(12:56) Further reading --- First published: July 22nd, 2015 Last updated: June 27th, 2025 Source: https://80000hours.org/career-reviews/startup-early-employee --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

On July 16, 1945, humanity had a disturbing first: scientists tested a technology — nuclear weapons — that could cause the destruction of civilisation. Since the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, humanity hasn’t launched any more nuclear strikes. In part, this is because our institutions developed international norms that, while imperfect, managed to prevent more nuclear attacks. We expect advanced AI will speed up technological advances, with some expecting a century of scientific progress in a decade. Faster scientific progress could have enormous benefits, from cures for deadly diseases to space exploration. Yet this breakneck pace could lower the barriers to creating devastating new weapons while outpacing our ability to build the safeguards needed to control them. Without proper controls, a country, group, or individual could use AI-created weapons of mass destruction to cause a global catastrophe. Advanced AI systems may dramatically accelerate scientific progress, potentially compressing decades of research into just a few years. This rapid advancement could enable the development of devastating new weapons of mass destruction — including enhanced bioweapons and entirely new categories of dangerous technologies — faster than we can build adequate safeguards. Without proper controls, state and non-state actors could use AI-developed [...] Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(01:09) Summary(01:59) Advanced AI could accelerate scientific progress(04:56) What kinds of weapons could advanced AI create?(05:01) Bioweapons(07:27) Cyberweapons(08:22) New dangerous technologies(09:56) These weapons would pose global catastrophic risks(12:33) There are promising approaches to reducing these risks(12:53) Governance and policy approaches(14:36) Technical approaches to reduce misuse risks The original text contained 5 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: June 24th, 2025 Source: https://80000hours.org/problem-profiles/catastrophic-ai-misuse --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO. ---Images from the article:Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.

The recording may not reflect the most recent changes to this article. ---Outline:(00:32) What are these lists based on?(03:11) Why did you make this page?(04:27) Why don't you list more familiar global issues?(06:08) Isn't it inappropriate to rank different issues?(07:25) Should I just take your word for it that these are the most pressing problems in the world?(08:16) How do you think your list is most likely to be wrong?(10:18) Why do you have a list if you don't think it's right?(11:45) Do you think everyone should work on your top list of world problems?(14:10) I want to help tackle one of these global issues. What should I do?(16:11) I'm not motivated to work on any of these issues. What should I do?(17:25) My values are pretty different — how can I figure out my own list of world problems?(19:46) How do I figure out which world problem is the best fit for me to work on? --- First published: August 15th, 2018 Source: https://80000hours.org/problem-profiles

About half of people are worried they'll lose their job to AI. And they're right to be concerned: AI can now complete real-world coding tasks on GitHub, generate photorealistic video, drive a taxi more safely than humans, and do accurate medical diagnosis. And over the next five years, it's set to continue to improve rapidly. Eventually, mass automation and falling wages are a real possibility. Narrated by the author. ---Outline:(00:00) Introduction(04:17) 1: What people misunderstand about automation(08:56) 1.1: What would ‘full automation’ mean for wages?(11:19) 2: Four types of skills most likely to increase in value(12:42) 2.1: Skills AI won’t easily be able to perform(21:41) 2.2: Skills that are needed for AI deployment(24:56) 2.3: Skills where we could use far more of what they produce(26:25) 2.4: Skills that are difficult for others to learn(28:05) 3.1: Skills using AI to solve real problems(29:22) 3.2: Personal effectiveness(31:59) 3.3: Leadership skills(36:25) 3.4: Communications and taste(37:23) 3.5: Getting things done in government(38:24) 3.6: Complex physical skills(38:57) 4: Skills with a more uncertain future(39:18) 4.1: Routine knowledge work: writing, admin, analysis, advice(43:22) 4.2: Coding, maths, data science, and applied STEM(45:31) 4.3: Visual creation(46:05) 4.4: More predictable manual jobs(46:46) 5: Some closing thoughts on career strategy(46:54) 5.1: Look for ways to leapfrog entry-level white collar jobs(48:44) 5.2: Be cautious about starting long training periods, like PhDs and medicine(49:52) 5.3: Make yourself more resilient to change(50:16) 5.4: Ride the wave(50:37) Take action(50:58) Thank you for listening --- First published: June 15th, 2025 Source: https://80000hours.org/ai/guide/skills-ai-makes-valuable

Advanced AI technology may enable its creators, or others who control it, to attempt and achieve unprecedented societal power grabs. Under certain circumstances, they could use these systems to take control of whole economies, militaries, and governments. This kind of power grab from a single person or small group would pose a major threat to the rest of humanity. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(00:10) Summary(00:46) Why is this a pressing problem?(03:56) What can be done to mitigate these risks?(05:44) Learn more The original text contained 2 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: April 24th, 2025 Source: https://80000hours.org/problem-profiles/ai-enabled-power-grabs --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

New tax data lets us accurately estimate which 11 jobs and industries are the highest paying on average, and for top performers. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(02:14) List of the highest paying jobs according to tax data(03:51) Which jobs are included in the table?(05:52) How do the highest-earning people make their money?(07:07) Which high-paying jobs are missing? How to make it into the top 1% as a blue collar worker.(09:07) What about narrower categories of job?(11:28) What about other countries?(12:03) What about capital gains?(15:30) What about lifetime income?(18:00) So which career paths are highest paid overall?(19:57) In which job should you earn to give?(22:28) You might also be interested in The original text contained 10 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: May 10th, 2017 Last updated: April 13th, 2025 Source: https://80000hours.org/articles/highest-paying-jobs --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO. ---Images from the article:Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.

The proliferation of advanced AI systems may lead to the gradual disempowerment of humanity, even if efforts to prevent them from becoming power-seeking or scheming are successful. Humanity may be incentivised to hand over increasing amounts of control to AIs, giving them power over the economy, politics, culture, and more. Over time, humanity's interests may be sidelined and our control over the future undermined, potentially constituting an existential catastrophe. There's disagreement over how serious a problem this is and how it relates to other concerns about AI alignment [...] Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(00:09) Summary(01:10) Why might gradual disempowerment be an especially pressing problem?(06:48) How pressing is this issue?(07:21) What are the arguments against this being a pressing problem?(08:14) What can you do to help?(10:17) Key organisations in this space(10:50) Learn more(11:58) Explore other pressing world problems The original text contained 1 footnote which was omitted from this narration. --- First published: April 4th, 2025 Source: https://80000hours.org/problem-profiles/gradual-disempowerment --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

I'm writing a new guide to careers to help artificial general intelligence (AGI) go well. Here's a summary of the bottom lines that'll be in the guide as it stands. Stay tuned to hear our full reasoning and updates as our views evolve. In short: The chance of an AGI-driven technological explosion before 2030 — creating one of the most pivotal periods in history — is high enough to act on. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(01:58) Get the full guide in your inbox as its released(02:11) Why AGI could be here by 2030(04:28) AGI could lead to 100 years of technological progress in under 10(07:49) What might happen next?(11:11) What needs to be done?(13:25) What can you do to help?(13:28) There are hundreds of jobs(14:49) Mid-career advice(16:26) Early-career advice(17:59) Should you work on this issue?(20:10) How should you plan your career given AGI might arrive soon?(20:16) Given the urgency, should you drop everything to try to work on AI right away?(22:41) If youre still uncertain about what to do(23:38) Next steps(24:07) Get notified when we publish new articles in this series --- First published: March 14th, 2025 Source: https://80000hours.org/ai/guide/summary --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO. ---Images from the article:Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.

In recent months, the CEOs of leading AI companies have grown increasingly confident about rapid progress:OpenAI’s Sam Altman: Shifted from saying in November “the rate of progress continues” to declaring in January “we are now confident we know how to build AGI”Anthropic’s Dario Amodei: Stated in January “I’m more confident than I’ve ever been that we’re close to powerful capabilities… in the next 2-3 years”Google DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis: Changed from “as soon as 10 years” in autumn to “probably three to five years away” by January.What explains the shift? Is it just hype? Or could we really have Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)There’s no single point at which a system becomes ‘AGI,’ and the term gets used in many different ways.More fundamentally, we can classify AI systems based on the (i) strength and (ii) breadth of their capabilities.‘Narrow’ AI demonstrates strong performance at a small range of tasks (e.g. chess-playing AI). Most technologies have very narrow applications.‘General’ AI is supposed to have strong capabilities in a wide range of domains, in the same way that humans can learn to do a wide range of jobs. But there’s no single point at which narrow becomes general – it’s just a spectrum. Narrated by the author. ---Outline:(00:00) Introduction(00:33) The case for AGI by 2030(04:04) The article in a nutshell(05:46) Section One: what''s driven recent AI Progress?(05:52) How we got here: the deep learning era(07:45) Where are we now: the four key drivers(08:57) 1: Scaling pretraining(12:14) Algorithmic efficiency(14:22) How much further can pretraining scale?(16:15) 2: Training the models to reason(22:06) How far can scaling reasoning continue?(25:01) 3. Increasing how long medels think(28:00) 4: Building better agents(33:38) How far can agent improvements continue?(35:57) Section Two: how good will AI become by 2030?(37:40) Trend extrapolation of AI capabilities(39:56) What jobs would these systems help with?(40:48) Software Engineering(42:10) Scientific Research(43:19) AI research(44:28) What''s the case against this?(49:16) Additional resources on the skeptical view(49:48) When do the ''experts'' expect AGI?(51:04) Section Three: why the next 5 years are crucial(52:08) Bottlenecks around 2030(56:00) Two potential futures for AI(58:02) Conclusion(59:24) Thanks for listening --- First published: March 20th, 2025 Source: https://80000hours.org/ai/guide/when-will-agi-arrive

At some point in the 21st century, an unwinnable war may be fought.A modern great power war could see nuclear weapons, bioweapons, autonomous weapons, and other destructive new technologies deployed on an unprecedented scale.It would probably be the most destructive event in history, shattering our world. It could even threaten us with extinction.We’ve come perilously close to just this kind of catastrophe before. Narrated by the author. --- First published: June 19th, 2023 Source: https://80000hours.org/problem-profiles/great-power-conflict

The recording may not reflect the most recent changes to this article.Some of the deadliest events in history have been pandemics.For comparisons of the deadliest events in history, see Luke Muehlhauser’s survey of the deadliest events in history, also cited in our full profile on reducing global catastrophic biological risks. Note three of the top 10 are pandemics:Global catastrophic biological risks (GCBRs) are risks of severe pandemics that are serious enough to threaten the future of humanity.For reasons we discuss below, we think the chances of such a biological catastrophe are uncomfortably high. There are also a number of practical options for reducing these risks. So we think working to reduce GCBRs is a promising way to safeguard the future of humanity right now.Note: This page gives a broad overview of the problem area and links to many resources on the topic. For an in-depth review of the issue and additional details about work in this area, see our full report on global catastrophic biological risks. (That report was published in March 2020 and largely written prior to the COVID-19 pandemic — but we think its conclusions still stand today.) --- First published: April 22nd, 2020 Source: https://80000hours.org/problem-profiles/preventing-catastrophic-pandemics

The Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia for just four years, yet in that time they murdered about one-quarter of Cambodia's population. Even short-lived totalitarian regimes can inflict enormous harm. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(03:48) Summary(04:18) Our overall view(07:12) Why might the risk of stable totalitarianism be an especially pressing problem?(07:36) Could totalitarianism be an existential risk?(08:45) Is any of this remotely plausible?(12:03) Will totalitarian regimes arise in future?(13:06) Could a totalitarian regime dominate the world?(13:29) Domination by force(16:38) Controlling a powerful government(19:24) Could a totalitarian regime last forever?(23:11) The chance of stable totalitarianism(27:50) Preventing long-term totalitarianism in particular seems pretty neglected(30:13) Why might you choose not to work on this problem?(31:06) What can you do to help?(31:33) AI Governance(33:10) Researching risks of global coordination(34:30) Working on defensive technologies(36:39) Protecting democratic institutions(38:15) Learn more about risks of stable totalitarianism(39:27) Explore other pressing world problems The original text contained 13 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: June 19th, 2024 Last updated: October 29th, 2024 Source: https://80000hours.org/problem-profiles/risks-of-stable-totalitarianism --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

This is Part Four of our four-part series of biosecurity anonymous answers. You can also read Part One: Misconceptions, Part Two: Fighting pandemics, and Part Three: Infohazards. One of the most prominently discussed catastrophic risks from AI is the potential for an AI-enabled bioweapon. But discussions of future technologies are necessarily speculative. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(01:23) Who we spoke to and why theyre anonymous(03:06) Expert 1: A unique policy window to mitigate harms(05:44) Expert 2: Restricting digital to physical capabilities(06:17) Expert 3: A plausible emerging threat(07:27) Expert 4: Reducing 'meta' knowledge barriers(09:04) Expert 5: Large language models are not a threat, but other AI tools may be(11:04) Expert 6: Using AI tools to help detect threats(12:39) Expert 7: Enabling both lone and state actors(13:50) Expert 8: Accelerating risk and mitigation approaches(14:49) Expert 9: New technologies and overhype(16:03) Expert 10: Collapsing timelines and missing datasets(16:47) Expert 11: Early days and space to contribute(18:29) Expert 12: Renewed urgency(19:01) Learn more --- First published: October 11th, 2024 Source: https://80000hours.org/articles/anonymous-answers-could-advances-in-ai-supercharge-biorisk --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

*This is Part Three of our four-part series of biosecurity anonymous answers. You can also read Part One: Misconceptions and Part Two: Fighting pandemics. In the field of biosecurity, many experts are concerned with managing information hazards (or infohazards). This is information that some believe could be dangerous if it were widely known — such as the gene sequence of a deadly virus or particular threat models. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(01:17) Who we spoke to and why theyre anonymous(03:06) Expert 1: Strike the right balance(04:22) Expert 2: Help researchers use information responsibly(05:45) Expert 3: Limit secrecy to improve problem solving(07:43) Expert 4: Keep the goal in mind when sharing information(08:46) Expert 5: Discuss threats more openly to reduce risks(11:49) Expert 6: Communicate based on the audience(12:31) Expert 7: Consider the effects of withholding information(14:44) Expert 8: Handle information sensitively to support diplomacy(16:01) Expert 9: Share information more widely (but responsibly)(18:55) Expert 10: Consider the purpose of sharing and manage credibility(20:15) Expert 11: Disclose information publicly only when absolutely necessary(21:49) Learn more --- First published: September 26th, 2024 Source: https://80000hours.org/articles/anonymous-answers-how-can-we-manage-infohazards-in-biosecurity --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

We don't know how to assess whether future AI systems will have moral status. Here's why that could be a big problem. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(02:21) Summary(03:07) Our overall view(04:46) Why might understanding the moral status of digital minds be an especially pressing problem?(04:53) 1. Humanity may soon grapple with many AI systems that could be conscious(10:33) Clearing up common misconceptions(12:20) 2. Creating digital minds could go very badly -- or very well(12:45) Dangers for digital minds(14:10) Dangers for humans(15:43) Other dangers(16:36) Things could also go well(17:53) 3. We don't know how to assess the moral status of AI systems(19:53) There are many possible characteristics that give rise to moral status(22:41) Many plausible theories of consciousness could include digital minds(27:24) We can't rely on what AI systems tell us about themselves(31:13) The strongest case for the possibility of sentient digital minds: whole brain emulation(34:42) 4. The scale of this issue might be enormous(35:10) There could be a huge number of digital minds(36:42) Our choices now might have long-lasting effects(40:35) Adding it up(41:58) 5. Work on this problem is neglected but seems tractable(43:04) Impact-guided research(44:56) Technical approaches(46:53) Policy approaches(50:46) Summing up so far(51:44) Arguments against the moral status of digital minds as a pressing problem(51:57) Two key cruxes(52:44) Maybe this problem is intractable(56:43) Maybe this issue will be solved by default(59:05) Isnt risk from AI more important than risks to AIs?(01:00:45) Maybe current AI progress will stall(01:01:58) Isnt this just too crazy?(01:03:09) What can you do to help?(01:03:23) Take concrete next steps(01:05:29) Aim for key roles(01:07:25) Pursue AI technical safety or AI governance(01:07:54) Is moral advocacy on behalf of digital minds a useful approach?(01:08:49) Where to work(01:10:25) Support this field in other ways(01:11:24) Important considerations if you work on this problem(01:12:30) Learn more(01:12:33) Podcasts(01:13:34) Research and reports(01:15:47) Explore other pressing world problems The original text contained 46 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: September 11th, 2024 Source: https://80000hours.org/problem-profiles/moral-status-digital-minds --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO. ---Images from the article:Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.

*This is Part Two of our four-part series of biosecurity anonymous answers. You can also read Part One: Misconceptions. Preventing catastrophic pandemics is one of our top priorities. But the landscape of pandemic preparedness is complex and multifaceted, and experts don't always agree about what the most effective interventions are or how resources should be allocated. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(01:09) Who we spoke to and why theyre anonymous(03:00) Expert 1: Improving PPE and detection technologies(04:24) Expert 2: Enhancing security measures against malicious actors(05:35) Expert 3: Implementing biosecurity safeguards and behavioural science(09:21) Expert 4: Protecting field researchers and advancing vaccine platforms(12:04) Expert 5: Focusing on containment and early detection(14:24) Expert 6: Balancing policy and technical interventions(17:32) Expert 7: Understanding the bioeconomy(19:34) Expert 8: Prioritising biosurveillance and risk modelling(21:01) Expert 9: Increasing biodefense efforts(22:13) Expert 10: Integrating pathogen-agnostic sequencing(23:13) Expert 11: Bolstering intelligence and early detection(25:57) Expert 12: Promoting biosafety research(27:42) Learn more --- First published: September 11th, 2024 Source: https://80000hours.org/articles/anonymous-advice-what-are-the-best-ways-to-fight-the-next-pandemic --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

While working as a diplomat at the US embassy in post-Soviet Kazakhstan, Andy Weber got an odd question from his auto mechanic: "Are you interested in purchasing some uranium?" "Strange things were happening at that time," Weber told 80,000 Hours in an interview. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(01:46) Why might a career in diplomacy be high-impact?(06:45) How much can a diplomat really influence policy?(10:18) What does the day to day normally look like in diplomacy?(13:48) Andy Weber(15:46) Personal fit for a diplomatic career(17:04) How to get started(21:17) How do you become a diplomat?(24:02) Other places you might gain and use diplomatic skills(25:03) What are some upsides of working in diplomacy?(26:48) What are some downsides of working in diplomacy?(28:10) Further resources The original text contained 1 footnote which was omitted from this narration. --- First published: August 28th, 2024 Source: https://80000hours.org/career-reviews/diplomacy --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO. ---Images from the article:Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.

As advancing AI capabilities gained widespread attention in late 2022 and 2023, interest in governing and regulating these systems has grown. Discussion of the potential catastrophic risks of misaligned or uncontrollable AI has become more prominent, potentially opening up opportunities for policy that could mitigate the threats.There’s still a lot of uncertainty about which AI governance strategies would be best. Many have proposed policies and strategies aimed at reducing the largest risks, which we discuss below.But there’s no roadmap here. There’s plenty of room for debate about what’s needed, and we may not have found the best ideas yet in this space. In any case, there’s still a lot of work to figure out how promising policies and strategies would work in practice. We hope to see more people enter this field to develop expertise and skills that will contribute to risk-reducing AI governance and policy. Narrated by the author. ---Outline:(00:00) Rob's intro(00:32) AI governance and policy(02:22) Why this could be a high-impact career path(05:17) First, what kinds of work might contribute to AI governance?(28:36) Now we’ll cover how to assess your fit and get started(40:39) How this career path can go wrong(45:08) What the increased attention on AI means(46:20) Where can this kind of work be done?(50:07) Want one-on-one advice on pursuing this path? --- First published: June 19th, 2023 Source: https://80000hours.org/career-reviews/ai-policy-and-strategy

AI safety research — research on ways to prevent unwanted behaviour from AI systems — generally involves working as a scientist or engineer at major AI labs, in academia, or in independent nonprofits. Narrated by AI. --- First published: April 25th, 2023 Source: https://80000hours.org/career-reviews/ai-safety-technical-research --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

Progress in AI — while it could be hugely beneficial — comes with significant risks. Risks that we’ve argued could be existential.But these risks can be tackled.With further progress in AI safety, we have an opportunity to develop AI for good: systems that are safe, ethical, and beneficial for everyone.This article explains how you can help.In a nutshell: Artificial intelligence will have transformative effects on society over the coming decades, and could bring huge benefits — but we also think there’s a substantial risk. One promising way to reduce the chances of an AI-related catastrophe is to find technical solutions that could allow us to prevent AI systems from carrying out dangerous behaviour. Narrated by the author. --- First published: June 18th, 2023 Source: https://80000hours.org/career-reviews/ai-safety-researcher

In a nutshell: If you want to help reduce catastrophic risks from AI, working at a frontier AI company is an important option to consider, but the impact is hard to assess. These roles often come with great potential for career growth, and many could be (or lead to) highly impactful ways of reducing the chances of an AI-related catastrophe. However, there's also a risk of doing substantial harm, and there are roles you should probably avoid. Pros Some roles have high potential for a big positive impact via reducing risks from AI Among the best and most robust ways to gain AI-specific career capital Highly compensated and prestigious Cons Risk of contributing to or accelerating AI systems that could cause extreme harm Financial and social incentives might make it harder to think objectively about risks Stress, especially because of a need to carefully and repeatedly assess whether your role is harmful Recommendation: it's complicated We think there are people in our audience for whom working in a role at a frontier AI company is their highest-impact option. But some of these roles might also be extremely harmful. This means it's important to be discerning and [...] Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(00:42) Pros(00:56) Cons(01:14) Recommendation: its complicated(01:45) Review status(03:05) Why might it be high impact to work for a frontier AI company?(03:11) Some roles at these companies might be among the best for reducing risks(05:28) A frontier AI company could be a huge force for good(09:23) It could be very good career capital (though there may also be career capital downsides)(13:48) What's the case against working at a frontier AI company?(13:54) You might increase the risk of an AI-related catastrophe(20:13) Does replaceability mean this doesn't matter?(21:14) There are great alternatives that lack many of the downsides(22:13) Things to consider for your particular case(22:48) There are very different kinds of roles(23:46) Some companies are probably much more responsible than others(28:40) It matters who you are(29:46) How can you reduce the downsides of working at a frontier AI company?(32:05) Where might you work instead?(34:15) Want one-on-one advice on pursuing this path?(34:37) Explore jobs(34:48) Learn more about working at AI companies(36:33) Learn about other high-impact careers(36:45) Acknowledgements The original text contained 10 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: June 20th, 2023 Last updated: August 8th, 2024 Source: https://80000hours.org/career-reviews/working-at-an-ai-lab --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

Each year, 50 billion animals are raised and slaughtered in factory farms. Most experience extreme levels of suffering. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(00:09) Summary(02:52) Introduction(03:42) How many animals are in farms?(06:03) How do we treat these animals?(07:16) How farmed chickens are treated(11:34) How farmed pigs are treated(13:13) How farmed cattle are treated(15:49) How farmed sheep and goats are treated(17:45) How farmed fish are treated(20:20) How farmed frogs and turtles are treated(21:13) How farmed shrimp and crustaceans are treated(22:00) How other farmed invertebrates (snails and insects) are treated(23:01) Images of farmed chickens(24:02) Images of farmed pigs(25:05) Images of farmed cattle(26:17) Images of farmed sheep and goats(27:08) Images of farmed fish(27:52) Images of farmed frogs and softshell turtles(28:45) Images of farmed snails and insects(29:07) To what extent do animals deserve our moral consideration?(30:16) Animal consciousness and pain(36:18) What makes something deserving of moral consideration?(38:59) Different moral approaches(45:21) How many animals count morally the same as one human?(45:34) Counting the number of individuals(46:24) Counting the number of neurons(47:40) Trying to estimate the probability of consciousness(48:09) Using welfare ranges(52:01) Bob Fischer(52:20) How might factory farming change in the future?(54:54) How will factory farming be affected by technological advances?(56:35) When might we develop really good alternatives to meat?(59:28) Would a competitive meat alternative end factory farming, and if so -- when?(01:01:54) How could AI affect factory farming?(01:04:51) What might happen to factory farming in the very long-run future?(01:08:24) There are promising ways of solving this problem(01:17:16) Work on factory farming is highly neglected(01:19:45) How can we compare the pressingness of factory farming to existential risks?(01:29:33) What are the major arguments against this problem being (especially) pressing?(01:31:45) What can you do to help?(01:34:15) Earning to give(01:35:16) Helping to run nonprofits(01:36:32) Seren Kell(01:37:07) Founding something new(01:38:21) Andrés Jiménez Zorrilla(01:38:50) Government and policy(01:39:33) Corporate campaigning and activism(01:40:10) Leah Garcés(01:40:40) Scientific and engineering research(01:43:14) Strategy research and grantmaking(01:44:25) Lewis Bollard(01:44:43) Find vacancies on our job board(01:45:17) Key organisations(01:53:50) Learn more(01:53:53) Top recommendations(01:54:21) Further recommendations(01:54:26) More resources(01:54:37) 80,000 Hours podcast episodes The original text contained 167 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: July 24th, 2024 Source: https://80000hours.org/problem-profiles/factory-farming --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO. ---Images from the article:Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.

It’s very plausible that there will be a nuclear war this century. As a result, nuclear weapons remain an extremely pressing problem. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(00:49) Summary(01:31) Our overall view(02:56) How likely is a nuclear war?(04:43) How could a nuclear war come about?(09:51) What nuclear weapons are we talking about?(11:35) How bad could a nuclear war be?(12:44) How many weapons would be used?(16:50) How would nuclear weapons be targeted?(18:09) What happens when a nuclear weapon is detonated?(21:23) What about nuclear winter?(26:11) How could this all be changed by new technology?(28:39) Other effects of a nuclear war(30:05) Could a nuclear war cause an existential catastrophe?(31:06) Are there enough nuclear weapons to kill everyone on earth without nuclear winter?(33:39) Could nuclear winter cause human extinction?(35:46) Could there be knock-on effects that lead to an existential catastrophe some other way?(38:30) How likely is an existential catastrophe resulting from nuclear war?(39:56) What about catastrophes that aren't existential?(41:10) Nuclear risk is increasingly neglected(41:53) Philanthropic spending(42:35) Government spending(45:23) How many people are working on this problem?(46:09) How neglected is this issue overall?(47:06) There are ways we can tackle nuclear risk(51:36) What are the major arguments against this problem being pressing?(52:54) What can you do to help?(53:35) What are the key organisations in this space(56:33) Find vacancies on our job board(56:37) Learn more(58:54) Explore other pressing world problems The original text contained 33 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: June 14th, 2024 Source: https://80000hours.org/problem-profiles/nuclear-security --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO. ---Images from the article:Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.

Find out how you could use your career to prevent a nuclear war and reduce the risks posed by nuclear weapons. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(01:19) Recommended(01:29) Review status(01:34) Why working to prevent nuclear conflict is high-impact(03:05) What goals should we be aiming towards?(07:29) What does this path involve?(08:30) Working in the US government(14:01) Other governments and international institutions(15:29) Research(18:30) Communication and advocacy(20:06) Working to build the field of nuclear risk reduction(20:51) Example people(20:56) Joan Rohlfing(21:24) Recommended organisations for reducing nuclear risk(24:10) Want one-on-one advice on pursuing this path?(24:34) Find a job in this path(24:48) Learn more about nuclear weapons safety and security The original text contained 5 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: April 29th, 2024 Source: https://80000hours.org/career-reviews/nuclear-weapons-safety-security --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO. ---Images from the article:Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.

Experts give their opinions about common misconceptions about biosecurity and pandemic prevention. They were granted anonymity for this piece. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(03:11) Expert 1: Failures of imagination and appeals to authority(05:17) Expert 2: Exaggerating small-scale risks and Western chauvinism(06:59) Expert 3: Useless reports and the world beyond effective altruism(07:37) Expert 4: Overconfidence in threat models(08:34) Expert 5: Interventions that don't address the largest threats(09:32) Expert 6: Over-reliance on past experience and overconfidence about the future(11:33) Expert 7: Resistance from governments and antagonising expert communities(14:27) Expert 8: Preparing for the Big One looks like preparing for the smaller ones(15:09) Expert 9: ChatGPT is not dangerous(17:33) Expert 10: The barriers to bioweapons are not that high(19:07) Expert 11: We don't need silver bullets(19:41) Expert 12: Three failure modes(20:15) Expert 13: Groupthink and failing to be scope sensitive(21:34) Expert 14: COVID-19 does not equal biological weapons(25:51) Learn more(25:54) Top recommendations(26:11) Further recommendations(26:17) Podcast episodes(26:41) Reports(27:01) Other anonymous advice The original text contained 1 footnote which was omitted from this narration. --- First published: February 26th, 2024 Source: https://80000hours.org/articles/anonymous-misconceptions-about-biosecurity --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

In a nutshell: China will play an especially influential role in how many of the biggest challenges of the next century play out, including global catastrophic biological risks and — especially — developing emerging technologies like AI. But a lack of understanding and coordination between China and the West means we might not tackle those challenges as well as we can (and need to). Therefore, it will be very valuable to have more people specialising in the intersection of China and catastrophic risks and emerging technologies. Recommended If you are well suited to this career, it may be the best way for you to have a social impact. Review status Based on a medium-depth investigation Last summer, China unveiled a plan to become the world leader in artificial intelligence, aiming to create a $150 billion industry by 2030. “We must take initiative to firmly grasp this new stage of development for artificial intelligence and create a new competitive edge,” the country's State Council said. The move symbolised the technological thrust of “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” promoted by President Xi Jinping. And it's not just AI. China is becoming increasingly important in the solution [...] Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(00:46) Recommended(00:55) Review status(03:08) Speak with our team(03:19) Why might becoming a China specialist be high impact?(06:40) Which topics are most important to understand within effective altruism in China?(07:32) Chinese culture(08:54) Knowledge of and connections with effective altruism(09:58) How many people does the community need?(10:56) Why we don't want to do 'outreach' in China(11:41) It's risky(12:24) It's easy to get wrong(14:06) It over-simplifies effective altruism - both in China, and in the West(15:19) Examples of people pursuing this path(15:25) Jeffrey Ding(15:49) How can you start a career in this area?(18:07) Get involved in the effective altruism community(19:01) Apply to top scholarships(19:53) Work in another policy or politics position in your home country, focused on Chinese-relevant policy(20:41) Learn Chinese in China(25:00) Build a network in China(26:23) Other prestigious options for talented Chinese citizens(28:02) Biorisk reduction(29:56) Nuclear security(31:07) Factory farming(33:42) A list of Chinese and Western organisations working on China-related issues in top problem areas(33:51) Biorisk reduction(35:43) Nuclear security(36:54) Factory farming(39:32) AI safety and strategy(39:56) How to assess your fit?(42:02) What about Russia and India?(43:10) Want one-on-one advice on pursuing this path?(43:34) Find jobs as a China specialist(43:45) Learn more(44:30) Learn about other high-impact careers The original text contained 14 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: February 28th, 2018 Last updated: December 15th, 2023 Source: https://80000hours.org/career-reviews/china-specialist --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

Through communicating important ideas, you could end up inspiring many people to do far more good than you could ever have done by yourself. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(01:53) Key facts on fit(02:14) Why are communication skills valuable?(08:17) What does building communication skills typically involve?(08:23) Content creation skills(13:43) Organisational communication skills(15:18) Communicating ideas alongside another job(18:09) Community building(19:03) Example people(19:07) Kelsey Piper(19:28) Julia Galef(19:55) Kuhan Jeyapragasan(20:25) How to evaluate your fit(20:29) How to predict your fit in advance(21:56) How to tell if you're on track(24:01) How to get started building communication skills(24:55) Content creation skills(25:38) What content should you produce?(26:18) Which medium should you choose?(27:02) Finding your audience(28:20) Organisational communication skills(29:06) Get funding(29:51) Apply for free one-on-one advising(30:20) Find jobs that use communication skills(30:29) Once you have these skills, how can you best apply them to have an impact?(32:59) Career paths we've reviewed that use these skills(33:25) Learn more(34:44) Explore other useful skills --- First published: September 18th, 2023 Last updated: December 15th, 2023 Source: https://80000hours.org/skills/communication --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO. ---Images from the article:Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.

Learn how to get started in an engineering career, and how you can use engineering skills to solve pressing global problems. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(01:56) Key facts on fit(02:24) Why are engineering skills valuable?(04:56) What specific discipline of engineering is most valuable?(06:04) What does using an engineering skill set typically involve?(06:36) Work in academia(07:27) Work in industry or startups(08:33) How to evaluate your fit(08:37) How to predict your fit in advance(10:08) Assessing your fit for different disciplines of engineering(11:29) How to tell if you're on track(12:00) How to get started building engineering skills(12:05) Getting an engineering degree(13:53) Going into academia(16:04) Entering industry(17:01) Find jobs that use engineering(17:15) Once you have an engineering skill set, how can you best apply it to have an impact?(17:52) Preventing catastrophic pandemics(19:19) AI alignment(20:09) Improving civilisational resilience(21:16) Fight climate change(22:10) Other problem areas that need engineers(22:47) Options outside engineering that can use engineering aptitude(23:42) Career paths we've reviewed that use engineering skills(23:54) Learn more about engineering(24:14) Explore other useful skills The original text contained 2 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: December 15th, 2023 Source: https://80000hours.org/skills/engineering --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO. ---Images from the article:Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.

Are academic careers a good option if you want to have a positive impact? A review of the pros and cons. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(01:13) Summary(02:37) Pros(02:51) Cons(03:07) Key facts on fit(03:25) Next steps(03:49) Recommended(03:59) Review status(04:04) What is this profile based on?(05:09) If you choose well, you can do valuable research(10:27) Research isn't the only way academics can have a large impact(10:59) 1. Public outreach(14:01) 2. Apply your research to problems outside of academia(18:33) 3. Influencing academia and research management(23:17) If you're in doubt, it's often worth staying in academia(23:23) Keeping options open(24:43) Good backup options(25:20) The work can be very satisfying(27:29) What are the main downsides?(27:33) Highly competitive and low chances of progression(32:35) Academic incentives aren't always aligned with doing valuable research(35:10) Lower salaries(36:17) Long training time(37:31) Lower flexibility(38:19) How to assess your personal fit(38:37) What are the entry requirements?(39:24) What does it take to excel?(39:29) Track record(40:15) How important is intelligence?(47:17) How much difference does hard work make?(49:22) What about other personality factors?(51:24) How to assess your personal fit at each stage of your career?(55:58) Maximising your impact within academia(56:03) Which field should you go into?(56:19) How to establish your career early on(57:30) Maximising your impact later on(57:35) 1. Maximising the impact of your research(01:02:25) 2. Maximising your impact in academia beyond research(01:04:42) Conclusion(01:05:31) Think you have a good shot at becoming an academic researcher focused on a pressing problem?(01:05:56) Learn more(01:05:59) Top recommendations(01:06:20) Further recommendations(01:06:25) Articles and resources(01:06:54) 80,000 Hours podcasts related to academic careers The original text contained 37 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: October 1st, 2018 Last updated: December 15th, 2023 Source: https://80000hours.org/career-reviews/academic-research --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

Learn to code, then apply your skills to something that really matters. Here's how to get started and how to use your coding skills for good. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(00:41) Key facts on fit(01:06) Why are software and tech skills valuable?(02:16) What does a career using software and tech skills involve?(03:42) How to evaluate your fit(03:46) How to predict your fit in advance(04:34) How to tell if you're on track(05:57) How to get started building software and tech skills(06:02) Independently learning to code(07:13) Attending a coding bootcamp(07:57) Studying at university(08:34) Doing internships(09:01) AI-assisted coding(09:41) Building a specialty(09:57) Machine learning(13:06) Information security(13:39) Data science and applied statistics(14:53) Once you have these skills, how can you best apply them to have an impact?(17:52) Find jobs that use software and tech skills(18:02) Career paths we've reviewed that use these skills(18:42) Explore other useful skills --- First published: September 18th, 2023 Last updated: December 15th, 2023 Source: https://80000hours.org/skills/software-tech --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

Which areas of specialist knowledge are most applicable to solving the world's most pressing problems? Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(02:17) How should you get started building specialist knowledge?(02:44) All our career reviews relevant to building specialist knowledge(03:07) Explore other useful skills(03:20) Plus, join our newsletter and we’ll mail you a free book --- First published: September 18th, 2023 Last updated: December 15th, 2023 Source: https://80000hours.org/skills/specialist-knowledge --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

Many of the highest-impact people in history have been communicators and advocates of one kind or another.Take Rosa Parks, who in 1955 refused to give up her seat to a white man on a bus, sparking a protest which led to a Supreme Court ruling that segregated buses were unconstitutional. Parks was a seamstress in her day job, but in her spare time she was involved with the civil rights movement. When Parks sat down on that bus, she wasn’t acting spontaneously: just a few months before she’d been attending workshops on effective communication and civil disobedience, and the entire arrest was carefully planned by Parks and the local NAACP. After she was arrested, they used widely distributed fliers to launch a total boycott of buses in a city with 40,000 African Americans, while simultaneously pushing forward with legal action. This led to major progress for civil rights.There are many skills that can help you communicate ideas. ---Outline:(01:42) Why can communication careers be high impact?(06:20) What do communication careers involve?(09:15) How a communication career evolves over time(10:30) Examples of people pursuing this path(12:12) How to know if you might be a good fit for communication careers(12:16) Early signs of fit(13:16) How to tell if you’re on track once you’ve gotten started(14:40) How to get started in communication careers(14:45) Honing your craft(16:46) Finding your audience(17:53) Get funding(18:42) Apply for free one-on-one advising --- First published: September 17th, 2023 Source: https://80000hours.org/articles/communication