I have a question about the ITN framework, which is used to evaluate and prioritise causes in the context of effective altruism (importance, tractability, and neglectedness). I have the impression that this method does not take into account an element that seems essential to me: the urgency of a cause.

Let's take the example of existential risks. If we consider two events with the potential to extinguish humanity, but one of them seems likely to happen more quickly, shouldn't we allocate more resources to the latter? All other things being equal, it would seem logical that urgency should influence the allocation of resources. However, this consideration seems to be absent from the ITN framework.

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This seems right as a criticism, but this seems better placed on the EA forum. I can't remember the last time I heard anyone talking about ITN on LessWrong. There are many considerations ITN leaves out, which should be unsurprising given how simplified it is.

Thanks for your reply. I also posted this question on the Effective Altruism forum, but I thought some people here might also have ideas on the topic.


 

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