I wish he had said (perhaps after some time to ponder) “I now realize that SBF used FTX to steal customer funds. SBF and FTX had a lot of goodwill, that I contributed to, and I let those people and the entire community down.
As a community, we need to recognize that this happened in part because of us. And I recognize that this happened partly because of me, in particular. Yes, we want to make the world better, and yes, we should be ambitious in the pursuit of that. But we have been doing so in a way that we can now see can set people on extremely dark and destructive paths.
No promise to do good justifies fraud, or the encouragement of fraud. We have to find a philosophy that does not drive people towards fraud.
We must not see or treat ourselves as above common-sense ethical norms, and must engage criticism with humility. We must fundamentally rethink how to embody utilitarianism where it is useful, within such a framework, recognizing that saying ‘but don’t lie or do fraud’ at the end often does not work.
I know others have worried that our formulation of EA ideas could lead people to do harm. I used to think this was unlikely. I now realize it was not, and that this was part of a predictable pattern that we must end, so that we can be a force for good once more.
I was wrong. I will continue to reflect in the coming months.”
And then, ya know, reflect, and do some things.
The statement he actually made I interpret as a plea for time to process while affirming the bare minimum. Where was his follow-up?
Your proposal seems to me to be pretty similar to what he actually said, just a bit stronger here and there. Ben’s proposal below, by contrast, is much stiffer stuff, mostly because of the last sentence.
I wish he had said (perhaps after some time to ponder) “I now realize that SBF used FTX to steal customer funds. SBF and FTX had a lot of goodwill, that I contributed to, and I let those people and the entire community down.
As a community, we need to recognize that this happened in part because of us. And I recognize that this happened partly because of me, in particular. Yes, we want to make the world better, and yes, we should be ambitious in the pursuit of that. But we have been doing so in a way that we can now see can set people on extremely dark and destructive paths.
No promise to do good justifies fraud, or the encouragement of fraud. We have to find a philosophy that does not drive people towards fraud.
We must not see or treat ourselves as above common-sense ethical norms, and must engage criticism with humility. We must fundamentally rethink how to embody utilitarianism where it is useful, within such a framework, recognizing that saying ‘but don’t lie or do fraud’ at the end often does not work.
I know others have worried that our formulation of EA ideas could lead people to do harm. I used to think this was unlikely. I now realize it was not, and that this was part of a predictable pattern that we must end, so that we can be a force for good once more.
I was wrong. I will continue to reflect in the coming months.”
And then, ya know, reflect, and do some things.
The statement he actually made I interpret as a plea for time to process while affirming the bare minimum. Where was his follow-up?
Your proposal seems to me to be pretty similar to what he actually said, just a bit stronger here and there. Ben’s proposal below, by contrast, is much stiffer stuff, mostly because of the last sentence.