Andy Masley on the EA insects debate: no trading human welfare for bug welfare

AndyMasley · x · 2026-09-23

EA-adjacent writer Andy Masley weighs in on the insect-consciousness discourse: he takes seriously that insects may feel pain that "matters," but argues wild-animal suffering is too intractable and dangerous to act on. He firmly sides with humanity — any principle trading human welfare for bugs, taken consistently, would imply ending civilization. He adds that EA is a simple algorithm without built-in guardrails; guardrails must come from the social scenes around the ideas.

Related event: EA's "Insects Matter More Than People" Essay Sparks Trust Crisis(10 posts)→

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