brainworm@books.theunseen.city reviewed The Precipice by Toby Ord
Long-termism for beginners
3 stars
Seems to be 'the' long-termist book. Very, very utilitarian. Made me feel relatively safe about meteor strikes and volcanoes. Even made me feel a bit less worried about nuclear armageddon, which I previously thought would be a complete and total show-stopper. I feel he downplayed the badness of rapid biospheric destruction & atmospheric change.
The conclusion that AI threat outstrips all other existential risks is something I still can't get on board with. In any case, it seems enough EA people (the presumed target audience) agree and are on the case. That leaves the rest of us to battle the current and progressing crises :)
Definitely worth a read. The span and scope Ord addresses does invoke feelings of awe and compassion. 3 stars because it is politico-philosophical book, but reading it has lead to me changing very little.