Luke Muehlhauser

{{LessWrong}}
'''Luke Muehlhauser''' is a blogger. He is a researcher at charity directory GiveWell. He was, until May 2015, the executive director of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute (formerly the Singularity Institute), the organisation behind [[LessWrong]].<ref>https://intelligence.org/2015/05/06/a-fond-farewell-and-a-new-executive-director/</ref>
Meuehlhauser was raised in a  [[Christian fundamentalist]] family, but he now identifies as an [[atheist]].<ref>http://commonsenseatheism.com/?p=12</ref> He is also a [[Singularity|singularitarian]].

Muehlhauser used to run the now-defunct atheist blog "Common Sense Atheism."  He joined the Singularity Institute in 2011 as a researcher, and soon after was appointed Executive Director. His leadership is said to have helped the institute get its shit together<ref>http://lesswrong.com/lw/cbs/thoughts_on_the_singularity_institute_si/6klg?context=1#6l4h</ref> after ten years' floundering. In 2017, he joined the [[Effective Altruism]] organization Open Philanthropy.<ref>https://lukemuehlhauser.com/about/ "I am the former Executive Director of MIRI and a current Research Analyst at Open Philanthropy Project."</ref> As of 2025, he works as its program director for AI Governance and Policy.<ref>https://www.openphilanthropy.org/about/team/luke-muehlhauser/</ref>

[[file:Muehlhauser.png|thumb|right|175px|Would you buy a used world-view from this man?<ref>[http://commonsenseatheism.com/?p=3091 The Courtier’s Reply, the Not My Theology Reply, and Straw Men]</ref>]]

==Desire utilitarianism==

Before moving into singularitarianism, Muehlhauser was an ardent proponent of Alonzo Fyfe's moral theory of desire [[utilitarianism]]. Eventually he came across [[Eliezer Yudkowsky]], who became his new [[Jesus]], while Fyfe was relegated to the role of [[John the Baptist]].<ref>http://commonsenseatheism.com/?p=13085#comment-122851</ref> He posted an extensive reading series of Yudkowsky on his blog, which pretty much bored his audience to death.

==Friendly AI==
{{cquote|A machine superintelligence would be enormously powerful. Successful implementation of Friendly AI could mean the difference between a solar system of unprecedented happiness and a solar system in which all available matter has been converted into parts for achieving the superintelligence’s goals.|||From the Singularity Institute. <ref name=Singularity>[http://lukeprog.com/ I'm Luke Muehlhauser];[http://singularity.org/singularity-faq/#WhatIsFriendlyAI What is Friendly AI?]</ref>}}
Muehlhauser is concerned that when [[artificial intelligence]] becomes more intelligent than [[human]] beings, it could be [[:Category:Alleged AI risks|harmful to us]]. Because of these fears, one of his ongoing projects is the development of what he calls "friendly AI."<ref name=Singularity/>

==See also==

*[[Eliezer Yudkowsky]]
*[[LessWrong]]
*[[Julia Galef]], whom he was engaged to in 2021 (the social graph of these communities is ''very'' dense)

==External links==

*[http://commonsenseatheism.com/ Common Sense Atheism], Muehlhauser's defunct atheist blog
*[http://squid314.livejournal.com/330825.html Luke Muehlhauser Facts]

==References==
{{reflist|2|90%}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Muelhauser, Luke}}

[[Category:Atheists]]
[[Category:Bloggers]]
[[Category:Effective altruists]]
[[Category:Internet kooks]]
[[Category:LessWrong]]
[[Category:Science woo]]
[[Category:Living people]]

Categories: Atheists, Bloggers, Effective altruists, Internet kooks, LessWrong, Science woo, Living people