I think this is accurately described as “an EA organization got a board seat at OpenAI”, and the actions of those board members reflect directly on EA (whether internally or externally).
Why did OpenAI come to trust Holden with this position of power? My guess is Holden and Dustin’s personal reputations were substantial effects here, along with Open Philanthropy’s major funding source, but also that many involved people’s excitement about and respect for the EA movement were a relevant factor in OpenAI wanting to partner with Open Philanthropy, and that Helen’s and Tasha’s actions have directly and negatively reflected on how the EA ecosystem is viewed by OpenAI leadership.
There’s a separate question about why Holden picked Helen Toner and Tasha MacAulay, and to what extent they were given power in the world by the EA ecosystem. It seems clear that these people have gotten power through their participation in the EA ecosystem (as OpenPhil is an EA institution), and to the extent that the EA ecosystem advertises itself as more moral than other places, if they executed the standard level of deceptive strategies that others in the tech industry would in their shoes, then that was false messaging.
I think this is accurately described as “an EA organization got a board seat at OpenAI”, and the actions of those board members reflect directly on EA (whether internally or externally).
Why did OpenAI come to trust Holden with this position of power? My guess is Holden and Dustin’s personal reputations were substantial effects here, along with Open Philanthropy’s major funding source, but also that many involved people’s excitement about and respect for the EA movement were a relevant factor in OpenAI wanting to partner with Open Philanthropy, and that Helen’s and Tasha’s actions have directly and negatively reflected on how the EA ecosystem is viewed by OpenAI leadership.
There’s a separate question about why Holden picked Helen Toner and Tasha MacAulay, and to what extent they were given power in the world by the EA ecosystem. It seems clear that these people have gotten power through their participation in the EA ecosystem (as OpenPhil is an EA institution), and to the extent that the EA ecosystem advertises itself as more moral than other places, if they executed the standard level of deceptive strategies that others in the tech industry would in their shoes, then that was false messaging.