Advice on CRAI (Re: [extropy-chat] CRN's position on gray goo)

[Chris Phoenix]

Eliezer S. Yudkowsky wrote:
 > Chris Phoenix wrote:
>> We need a Center for Responsible AI.  If someone wants to start one, 
>> I'll be happy to give him/her advice.  But CRN can't focus on AI as well.
> 
> What's your advice?

I can only tell you what's been working for us.

How to get started:
   1) Care about the problem.  Write about the problem, and think about 
it, over a course of years.  Be prepared for a career change.  Write 
about it some more.  Have email conversations.  Explain it to people--a 
good way to boil down your theories to their essentials.
   2) Meet someone with a different perspective and background, 
complementary skills, and very compatible working style.  I met Mike in 
an email conversation.
   3) When it's right, you'll know it.  Mike and I agreed to start an 
organization within two weeks of the first email.

How to run the organization:
   1) Decide what kind of organization you want.  Pick simple goals: To 
make money?  To spread information?  To scare politicians?  We decided 
to spread information.
   2) Decide what reputation you want to build.  This should be 
compatible with the kind of organization you are.  In our case, we 
wanted a reputation as knowledgeable, careful, and trustworthy.
   3) Introspect and self-criticize.  Always be looking for new options. 
  Mike and I have spent hundreds of hours talking about what we 
could/should be doing next.  We have several pages on our website 
explaining how our organization works.  And we keep asking: is this idea 
compatible with being an Information organization?
   4) Figure out strategies for achieving your goals and purposes.  Then 
try to implement them.  Go to step 3.
   5) We are small enough, and compatible enough, to do everything by 
consensus.  This won't work for all personality types, and maybe not for 
all organization types.  All I can say is that it's worked for us.  It 
requires open-mindedness, and putting organizational goals ahead of ego.

How to have an impact:
   1) Design your own strategy.  Use your own skill set.
   2) We've found that press releases get some attention.  Writing 
papers and articles is also good, especially since there are several 
online sites willing to publish them.  And we've placed several articles 
in print magazines as well.

Hope this helps...

Chris