(1) : Decide on a person who will speak about the film for MIRI to the public. At best a person who’s going to be comfortable in front of a TV camera.
(2) Email the producers of Transcendence. Basically tell them you are the nonprofit MIRI who works on the issue of unfriendly AI risk. You didn’t like that Erik Sofge dismissed AI risk in his Popular Science article.
You want to speak to the press about the film, but you want to know what the film is actually about, so it would be nice if the producers of Transcendence would show you the film before the release date. Offer to fly to whatever location in which they might want to show the film.
Mention that you will attempt to bring along a journalist for an exclusive story about MIRI reaction to the film.
This proposal should be a no-brainer for someone who produces a film and who wants more PR for the film.
(3) If you have that agreement you message Wired about an exclusive opportunity to cover come along for the screening and cover the reaction of MIRI’s spokesperson for it.
Again I think it should be a no-brainer for Wired to send a journalist for such a purpose if you pitch it right. In case Wired decliners you ask around at other places. Tech outlets and places like Business Insider and Forbes.
(4) Once the article is published (it might not be immediately) do all you can to draw attention to it. That probably includes also writing a indepth article on the MIRI blog with arms readers with various important talking points.
(5) Wait for the press to send queries for interviews. Here you have to make a decision about which interview request you want to take. If the press sees you as a general expert on technology there might be a bunch of request that don’t have anything to do with MIRI’s purpose that you don’t want to take.
A proposal for a step by step MIRI PR strategy:
(1) : Decide on a person who will speak about the film for MIRI to the public. At best a person who’s going to be comfortable in front of a TV camera.
(2) Email the producers of Transcendence. Basically tell them you are the nonprofit MIRI who works on the issue of unfriendly AI risk. You didn’t like that Erik Sofge dismissed AI risk in his Popular Science article.
You want to speak to the press about the film, but you want to know what the film is actually about, so it would be nice if the producers of Transcendence would show you the film before the release date. Offer to fly to whatever location in which they might want to show the film. Mention that you will attempt to bring along a journalist for an exclusive story about MIRI reaction to the film.
This proposal should be a no-brainer for someone who produces a film and who wants more PR for the film.
(3) If you have that agreement you message Wired about an exclusive opportunity to cover come along for the screening and cover the reaction of MIRI’s spokesperson for it.
Again I think it should be a no-brainer for Wired to send a journalist for such a purpose if you pitch it right. In case Wired decliners you ask around at other places. Tech outlets and places like Business Insider and Forbes.
(4) Once the article is published (it might not be immediately) do all you can to draw attention to it. That probably includes also writing a indepth article on the MIRI blog with arms readers with various important talking points.
(5) Wait for the press to send queries for interviews. Here you have to make a decision about which interview request you want to take. If the press sees you as a general expert on technology there might be a bunch of request that don’t have anything to do with MIRI’s purpose that you don’t want to take.
Ben Goertzel (former MIRI director of research) has worked with the Chinese distributor for Transcendence, so maybe he’s seen the movie or knows who at the movie to talk to?