Effective altruism
Dated sources are over 18 months old; other dates are unknown.
Publication dates and source age
Sources counted: 5
Newest dated source: 2021
Assessed at this edition's evidence cutoff: 2026-09-15. 18-month boundary: 2025-03-15.
Some publication dates are unknown; the newest dated source may not be the newest source overall.
Publication age does not tell us whether a claim is still valid. Reading an old source again does not make its publication date newer. An update date does not establish that the passage we used was updated.
Open in the glossary Reading notes · Structured record
In plain language
A community seeking effective ways to help others. Critics question whose measures of benefit count and how much power donors should have. [1] [2] [3]
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Limits & distinctions
Alice Crary argues that measures of benefit can miss political causes of harm. Emma Saunders-Hastings warns about donors’ power over people receiving help. EA’s own FAQ replies that institutional change belongs in its scope and that EA need not be utilitarian. These disputes concern how help is defined and governed. EA, longtermism and AI safety are not interchangeable. [2] [3] [4] [5]
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A fuller explanation
A project and community that aims to use evidence and reasoning to compare ways of helping others and put its conclusions into practice. Its causes include global health, animal welfare and catastrophic risks. Supporters argue that comparing results can direct limited resources to more useful work. [1] [4]
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How it relates to the map
No single location on either axis. A method for prioritizing good does not determine one AI policy. [1]
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https://theaiatlas.org/ideas/ea/
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Sources and what we read
1. What is effective altruism?
Publication dates and source age
Sources counted: 1
Publication dates are unavailable.
Assessed at this edition's evidence cutoff: 2026-09-15. 18-month boundary: 2025-03-15.
Some publication dates are unknown; the newest dated source may not be the newest source overall.
Publication age does not tell us whether a claim is still valid. Reading an old source again does not make its publication date newer. An update date does not establish that the passage we used was updated.
Definition of a philosophy/community, not a placement on the AI chart.
2. Against ‘Effective Altruism’
Source is over 18 months old.
Publication dates and source age
Sources counted: 1
Newest dated source: 2021
Assessed at this edition's evidence cutoff: 2026-09-15. 18-month boundary: 2025-03-15.
Publication age does not tell us whether a claim is still valid. Reading an old source again does not make its publication date newer. An update date does not establish that the passage we used was updated.
Read the institutional and philosophical critique and discussion of EA replies. These are Crary’s arguments, not findings about every participant or charity. Publication precision is the issue year.
3. Response to Effective Altruism
Source is over 18 months old.
Publication dates and source age
Sources counted: 1
Newest dated source: 2015-07-01
Assessed at this edition's evidence cutoff: 2026-09-15. 18-month boundary: 2025-03-15.
Publication age does not tell us whether a claim is still valid. Reading an old source again does not make its publication date newer. An update date does not establish that the passage we used was updated.
Read the complete response on donor power and recipient choice. Historical charity recommendations are not repeated as current advice. The argument warns of a governance problem rather than rejecting every donation.
4. Frequently asked questions and common objections
Publication dates and source age
Sources counted: 1
Publication dates are unavailable.
Assessed at this edition's evidence cutoff: 2026-09-15. 18-month boundary: 2025-03-15.
Some publication dates are unknown; the newest dated source may not be the newest source overall.
Publication age does not tell us whether a claim is still valid. Reading an old source again does not make its publication date newer. An update date does not establish that the passage we used was updated.
Read the definitions and replies on utilitarianism, uncertainty, systemic change and competing priorities. This is the movement website’s account of its principles, not an independent evaluation of its institutions.
5. Longtermism
Publication dates and source age
Sources counted: 1
Publication dates are unavailable.
Assessed at this edition's evidence cutoff: 2026-09-15. 18-month boundary: 2025-03-15.
Some publication dates are unknown; the newest dated source may not be the newest source overall.
Publication age does not tell us whether a claim is still valid. Reading an old source again does not make its publication date newer. An update date does not establish that the passage we used was updated.
An advocate's account of the moral importance of future people. The page is undated; the book's publication date is not used as the page date.
Edition and machine-readable evidence
Content version 0.20.0. Evidence cutoff 2026-09-15; this does not mean every source was read on that day.
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