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Astral Codex Ten’s Open Thread 453 shares several updates, including a grant program offering up to $10 million for work on middle powers and transformative AI. It also links a response from California congressional candidate Jamie Joyce and lists new college effective altruism meetups. The grant program’s award schedule and selection details are not specified in the post.
Astral Codex Ten’s Open Thread 453 links a new grant program from Astralis Foundation and Macroscopic Ventures, which say they will distribute up to $10 million for work on middle powers and transformative AI. The weekly post also shares updates on a California House race and planned college meetups, but gives few details about the grant selection process or timing.
The post describes the grant program as supporting research, training, public writing and new organizations focused on what countries beyond the United States and China can do in response to advanced AI. The organizations’ stated maximum is $10 million; the post does not say how much has already been committed, how many projects may receive funding, or when applications close. It directs readers to further information and an application page.
The election update concerns California’s 12th congressional district. The thread’s author says that in a spring primary recommendations post, they backed the incumbent, describing challenger Jamie Joyce as eccentric and unlikely to win. Joyce contacted the author and asked for a change of view. The author says they do not intend to revisit the earlier comments at this time, but may reconsider when writing about the November election. The thread links Joyce’s response and recommends it to interested district voters.
Three additional college effective altruism meetup groups now have events planned, according to the post: Oxford, University College Dublin and the University of the Philippines. It points readers to a list for details. The thread also recommends comments on a prior post about AI generalization, naming contributions by Eliezer Yudkowsky, Ezra Newman, Elias Schmied and Stuart Armstrong, as well as a link by Schmied to writing from Evan Hubinger.
Funding for AI Policy Work
The grant announcement gives researchers and organizers a possible source of support for work on the role of countries outside the United States and China in shaping responses to advanced AI. The post’s description spans several types of activity, from research and training to public writing and new organizations. That scope signals an interest in building both analysis and capacity, though the post does not spell out the funders’ priorities or how they will judge proposals.
The other updates connect the thread to readers making decisions at different levels: voters can review Joyce’s account of the congressional race, while students and local organizers can find new meetup plans. The post functions as a recurring community bulletin as well as a source of links to debates about AI systems and their ability to generalize beyond training examples.
A Weekly Community Bulletin
Open Thread 453 is presented as Astral Codex Ten’s weekly open thread. Readers are invited to post about any subject or ask questions. The post also points to the site’s unofficial subreddit, Discord, bulletin board and in-person meetups, and notes that some site content is available only to subscribers.
The grant item appears alongside several community announcements rather than as a standalone report. The post describes Astralis Foundation and Macroscopic Ventures with a joking aside about their relationship to the site’s community, but does not provide organizational details. Its primary account of the grant opportunity is the short description of the intended focus and a link to more information and applications.
The election item refers back to a spring primary recommendation and ahead to a November general election in which the incumbent and Joyce are expected to face each other again, according to the post. The author does not provide a new endorsement in this thread. The meetup update adds three locations to an existing list, while the comments roundup directs readers to discussion tied to an earlier article on AI generalization.
““research, training, public writing and new organizations focused on what countries beyond the US and China can do””
— Astralis Foundation and Macroscopic Ventures, as quoted in the thread
Grant Terms Still Unspecified
The thread does not state the application deadline, award sizes, eligibility rules or date when grants will be announced. “Up to $10 million” is a ceiling, not confirmation that the full amount has been awarded or distributed. The post links to additional information, but the details are not included in the source material here.
It is also unclear whether the thread author will publish another election recommendation or change their assessment of Joyce. The linked response is recommended to readers, but its arguments are not summarized in the post. The meetup list is said to contain further details, which are not reproduced in the thread excerpt.
Applications and November Contest
People interested in the grant program can consult the linked program page for application instructions and any updated terms. The source does not identify a deadline or say when recipients will be named. Readers interested in the college groups can check the linked meetup list for plans in Oxford, Dublin and the Philippines.
In the California 12th District race, the incumbent and Joyce are expected to meet again in the November general election, according to the thread. The author says they may revisit their earlier recommendation in a future election post. Whether they do so, and what the grant program ultimately funds, remain open.
Key Questions
What is the main new announcement in Open Thread 453?
Astralis Foundation and Macroscopic Ventures say they will distribute up to $10 million for work related to middle powers and transformative AI.
What kinds of projects may the grants support?
The thread describes research, training, public writing and new organizations focused on what countries beyond the United States and China can do in response to advanced AI. It does not provide full eligibility rules.
Who is Jamie Joyce, and why does the thread mention her?
Joyce is described as the challenger in California’s 12th congressional district race. She contacted the thread’s author about an earlier endorsement of the incumbent, and the post links to her response.
Where are the new college meetups planned?
The thread lists planned effective altruism meetups in Oxford, University College Dublin and the University of the Philippines.
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