There’s still an opportunity cost to working at Google—you could be spending more time working for MIRI. Why work at Google when you could be spending that time working for MIRI?
Google subsidizes that particular opportunity cost (by paying me), and that I donate a fair portion of my salary to MIRI. I haven’t been at this long enough to be confident I can produce more value via research than donation.
Furthermore, there’s a significant cost to not working elsewhere: I need money to live. MIRI has limited resources with which to support full time researchers, and if/when they do start supporting new full time researchers I should certainly not be at the top of the list. I have recently demonstrated some skill and drive, but I have a long way to go before I can match the productivity of others who are just as driven and far more knowledgable.
There’s still an opportunity cost to working at Google—you could be spending more time working for MIRI. Why work at Google when you could be spending that time working for MIRI?
Google subsidizes that particular opportunity cost (by paying me), and that I donate a fair portion of my salary to MIRI. I haven’t been at this long enough to be confident I can produce more value via research than donation.
Furthermore, there’s a significant cost to not working elsewhere: I need money to live. MIRI has limited resources with which to support full time researchers, and if/when they do start supporting new full time researchers I should certainly not be at the top of the list. I have recently demonstrated some skill and drive, but I have a long way to go before I can match the productivity of others who are just as driven and far more knowledgable.