I think it would probably be good to go to shed some light on what the movement actually is to some people. At the very surface, the whole point is “how do we do the most good?” which is a fair question to ask. For university students still finding their way in the world, I’d say it’s a good thing that they are trying to find the answer. Many of the techy goals of people in that realm seems like cool scifi. It’s only once you dig deeper that you see the true sinister nature of the people in the field.

They claim that through technology, they will be able to usher in a utopia where people don’t have to work as much. Funny how they don’t lobby for laws that would require technological advancements to benefit workers, not the owners. There’s many examples throughout history, but one of the best is probably the cotton gin. It was created as a labor saving device to helpfully reduce/eliminate slavery, but all it did was make slavery far more profitable. That’s what happened with an inventor trying to do the right thing. Most tech these days is not developed to benefit everyone.

It’s no accident that the people claiming that AGI is a risk to humanity are also the ones trying hardest to get there. They are just a little scared of AGI because it could truly cause societal upheaval, and those at the top of a society have the most to lose in that situation. It’s self preservation, not benevolence. The power structures of modern society are vital to their continued lives of extravagance. In the end, they all just want to accumulate wealth, not pay any taxes, and try to make themselves feel like a hero for doing it.

I’d really just say that the people that would be in that room with you all probably do have legitimately noble goals, so it’s important not to treat them as an adversary. You aren’t going to win anyone over if that’s how you approach it. Just do some research, and make sure to focus on the impact of the actions of the EA people, not their stated goals