Do they expect the most talented to be more likely to accept a lower salary for a good cause?
Yes. Any one with the necessary mindset of thinking that AI is the most important issue in the world will accept a lower salary than what's possible in the market elsewhere.
I don't know whether MIRI has an interest in hiring people who don't have that moral framework.
Haven't had one of these for awhile. This thread is for questions or comments that you've felt silly about not knowing/understanding. Let's try to exchange info that seems obvious, knowing that due to the illusion of transparency it really isn't so obvious!