Main points in favor of this grant
Good paper that would be exciting to disseminate. This is a very cheap way of supporting that.
Donor's main reservations
The paper is very theoretical in nature and may not end up improving AI safety in practice.
Process for deciding amount
I asked Joar for an estimate of the travel costs, checked they were reasonable, and then added my own estimate for costs for food/sundries in Vienna.
Conflicts of interest
Please disclose e.g. any romantic, professional, financial, housemate, or familial relationships you have with the grant recipient(s).
I previously supervised Joar Skalse on a related project. Joar is currently a contractor working on a separate project for my organization, FAR AI.