# MIRI's 2014 Summer Matching Challenge

(Cross-posted from [MIRI's blog](http://intelligence.org/2014/07/21/2014-summer-matching-challenge/). [MIRI](http://intelligence.org/) maintains Less Wrong, with generous help from [Trike Apps](http://trikeapps.com/), and much of the core content is written by salaried MIRI staff members.)

Thanks to the generosity of several major donors,^†^ every donation made to MIRI between now and August 15th, 2014 will be **matched dollar-for-dollar**, up to a total of $200,000!  

![](https://intelligence.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Summer-2014-finished.png)

Now is your chance to **double your impact** while helping us raise up to $400,000 (with matching) to fund [our research program](http://intelligence.org/research/).

Corporate matching and monthly giving pledges will count towards the total! Please email [malo@intelligence.org](mailto:malo@intelligence.org) if you intend on leveraging corporate matching (check [here](https://doublethedonation.com/miri), to see if your employer will match your donation) or would like to pledge 6 months of monthly donations, so that we can properly account for your contributions towards the fundraiser.

(If you're unfamiliar with our mission, see: [Why MIRI?](http://intelligence.org/2014/04/20/why-miri/))

[**Donate Now**](https://intelligence.org/donate/#donation-methods)

  ![](https://intelligence.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/workshop-horizontal-3.jpg)

### Accomplishments Since Our Winter 2013 Fundraiser Launched:

*   Hired **2 new Friendly AI researchers**, Benja Fallenstein & Nate Soares. Since March, they've authored or co-authored 4 papers/reports, with several others in the works. Right now they're traveling, to present papers at the [Vienna Summer of Logic](http://vsl2014.at/), [AAAI-14](http://www.aaai.org/Conferences/AAAI/aaai14.php), and [AGI-14](http://agi-conf.org/2014/).
*   **5 new papers & book chapters**: “[Why We Need Friendly AI](http://intelligence.org/2013/12/18/new-paper-why-we-need-friendly-ai/),” “[The errors, insights, and lessons of famous AI predictions](http://intelligence.org/2014/04/30/new-paper-the-errors-insights-and-lessons-of-famous-ai-predictions/),” “[Problems of self-reference...](http://intelligence.org/2014/05/06/new-paper-problems-of-self-reference-in-self-improving-space-time-embedded-intelligence/),” “[Program equilibrium...](http://intelligence.org/2014/05/17/new-paper-program-equilibrium-prisoners-dilemma-via-lobs-theorem/),” and “[The ethics of artificial intelligence](http://intelligence.org/2014/06/19/new-chapter-cambridge-handbook-artificial-intelligence/).”
*   **11 new technical reports**: [7 reports from the December 2013 workshop](http://intelligence.org/2013/12/31/7-new-technical-reports-and-a-new-paper/), “[Botworld](http://intelligence.org/2014/04/10/new-report-botworld/),” “[Loudness...](http://intelligence.org/2014/05/30/new-report-loudness-priors-preference-relations/),” “[Distributions allowing tiling...](http://intelligence.org/2014/06/06/new-report-distributions-allowing-tiling-staged-subjective-eu-maximizers/),” and “[Non-omniscience...](http://intelligence.org/2014/06/23/new-report-non-omniscience-probabilistic-inference-metamathematics/)”
*   **New book**: _[Smarter Than Us](http://intelligence.org/smarter-than-us/),_ published both as an e-book and a paperback.
*   Held [one MIRI workshop](http://intelligence.org/workshops/#may-2014) and launched the **[MIRIx program](http://intelligence.org/mirix/)**, which currently supports 8 independently-organized Friendly AI discussion/research groups around the world.
*   **New analyses**: [Robby's posts on naturalized induction](http://wiki.lesswrong.com/wiki/Naturalized_induction), [Luke's list of 70+ studies which could improve our picture of superintelligence strategy](http://lukemuehlhauser.com/some-studies-which-could-improve-our-strategic-picture-of-superintelligence/), “[Exponential and non-exponential trends in information technology](http://intelligence.org/2014/05/12/exponential-and-non-exponential/),” “[The world's distribution of computation](http://intelligence.org/2014/02/28/the-worlds-distribution-of-computation-initial-findings/),” “[How big is the field of artificial intelligence?](http://intelligence.org/2014/01/28/how-big-is-ai/),” “[Robust cooperation: A case study in Friendly AI research](http://intelligence.org/2014/02/01/robust-cooperation-a-case-study-in-friendly-ai-research/),” “[Is my view contrarian?](/lw/jv2/is_my_view_contrarian/),” and “[Can we really upload Johnny Depp's brain?](http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2014/04/transcendence_science_can_we_really_upload_johnny_depp_s_brain.html)”
*   **Won $60,000+ in matching and prizes** from sources that wouldn't have otherwise given to MIRI, [via the Silicon Valley Gives fundraiser](http://intelligence.org/2014/05/06/liveblogging-the-svgives-fundraiser/). (Thanks again, all you dedicated donors!)
*   [**49 new expert interviews**](http://intelligence.org/category/conversations/), including interviews with [Scott Aaronson](http://intelligence.org/2013/12/13/aaronson/) (MIT), [Max Tegmark](http://intelligence.org/2014/03/19/max-tegmark/) (MIT), [Kathleen Fisher](http://intelligence.org/2014/01/10/kathleen-fisher-on-high-assurance-systems/) (DARPA), [Suresh Jagannathan](http://intelligence.org/2014/04/30/suresh-jagannathan-on-higher-order-program-verification/) (DARPA), [André Platzer](http://intelligence.org/2014/02/15/andre-platzer-on-verifying-cyber-physical-systems/) (CMU), [Anil Nerode](http://intelligence.org/2014/03/26/anil-nerode/) (Cornell), [John Baez](http://intelligence.org/2014/02/21/john-baez-on-research-tactics/) (UC Riverside), [Jonathan Millen](http://intelligence.org/2014/04/12/jonathan-millen/) (MITRE), and [Roger Schell](http://intelligence.org/2014/06/23/roger-schell/).
*   **4 transcribed conversations** about MIRI strategy: [1](http://intelligence.org/2014/01/13/miri-strategy-conversation-with-steinhardt-karnofsky-and-amodei/), [2](http://intelligence.org/2014/01/27/existential-risk-strategy-conversation-with-holden-karnofsky/), [3](http://intelligence.org/2014/02/11/conversation-with-jacob-steinhardt-about-miri-strategy/), [4](http://intelligence.org/2014/02/21/conversation-with-holden-karnofsky-about-future-oriented-philanthropy/).
*   Published a thorough “[2013 in review](http://intelligence.org/2013/12/20/2013-in-review-operations/).”

### Ongoing Activities You Can Help Support

*   We're writing an overview of the Friendly AI technical agenda (as we see it) so far.
*   We're currently developing and testing several tutorials on different pieces of the Friendly AI technical agenda (tiling agents, modal agents, etc.).
*   We're writing several more papers and reports.
*   We're growing the MIRIx program, largely to grow the pool of people we can plausibly hire as full-time FAI researchers in the next couple years.
*   We're planning, or helping to plan, multiple research workshops, including the [May 2015 decision theory workshop at Cambridge University](http://intelligence.org/2014/07/12/may-2015-decision-theory-workshop-cambridge/).
*   We're finishing the editing for a book version of Eliezer's _[Sequences](http://wiki.lesswrong.com/wiki/Sequences)_.
*   We're helping to fund further [SPARC](http://sparc-camp.org/) activity, which provides education and skill-building to elite young math talent, and introduces them to ideas like effective altruism and global catastrophic risks.
*   We're continuing to discuss formal collaboration opportunities with UC Berkeley faculty and development staff.
*   We're helping Nick Bostrom promote his [_Superintelligence_](http://smile.amazon.com/Superintelligence-Dangers-Strategies-Nick-Bostrom-ebook/dp/B00LOOCGB2/) book in the U.S.
*   We're investigating opportunities for supporting Friendly AI research via federal funding sources such as the NSF.

Other projects are still being surveyed for likely cost and impact. See also our [mid-2014 strategic plan](http://intelligence.org/2014/06/11/mid-2014-strategic-plan/). We appreciate your support for our work!

[Donate now](https://intelligence.org/donate/#donation-methods), and seize a better than usual opportunity to move our work forward. If you have questions about donating, please contact Malo Bourgon at malo@intelligence.org.

^†^ $200,000 of total matching funds has been provided by Jaan Tallinn, Edwin Evans, and Rick Schwall.

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