Life Choice: Should Someone Highly Interested in AGI Research Jeopardize Their Existing Career to Pursue It?

Showing only ideas leading to #3819 and its comments.

See full discussion·​See most recent related ideas
  Log in or sign up to participate in this discussion.
With an account, you can revise, criticize, and comment on ideas.

Discussions can branch out indefinitely. You may need to scroll sideways.
Tyler Mills’s avatar
Tyler MillsOP·​#3639·​

Option 2: Go on hiatus from the day job/career, and focus on creative pursuits and research, full-time, for some number of months (duration perhaps depending on job opportunities).

Battle-testedLinked to by #3919
Zakery Mizell’s avatar
Zakery Mizell·​#3782·​·​Criticism

Consider your current balance of working and research.

Could you cut other activities, keep the job, and increase focus on research?

Criticized1*Linked to by #3787
Tyler Mills’s avatar
Tyler MillsOP·​#3819·​·​Criticism

I think I've compressed other activities as much as possible. With the current job, I don't think I can increase focus on research any further. The concerns are over the tradeoffs of leaving the day job (finances, impact to employability, etc.).

Linked to by #3881 and #3894
Dennis Hackethal’s avatar
Dennis Hackethal·​#3834·​·​Criticism

FWIW, if I was hiring, and I was looking at a resume of someone who always ‘played it safe’ and was very concerned about what others think, I wouldn’t hire them. Whereas I would hire someone who takes smart risks and cares about truth over popularity, even if they have a resume ‘gap’.

Criticized1Linked to by #3894
  • Rationally adoptable.
  • Not rationally adoptable.
  • Older versions with pending criticisms.
  • Ideas are blue, criticisms red, comments small and gray.
  • Hover over ideas to expand them.
  • Click on ideas to jump to their place in the discussion.