Intelligence Briefing
Professor at the Santa Fe Institute and author of "Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking Humans" (2019), one of the most balanced and widely praised introductions to AI. PhD supervised by Douglas Hofstadter and John Holland, developing the Copycat cognitive architecture for analogy-making. Leads a $20M NSF-funded research institute (2025-2030) on AI and complex systems. Active on the 2025-2026 speaking circuit at Yale, Stanford, CMU, and Princeton, cutting through AI hype with rigorous analysis of what current systems can and cannot do.
BA, Mathematics and Astronomy — Brown University
PhD, Computer Science — University of Michigan
Operational History
Continued Research and Public Engagement
Ongoing contributions to AI evaluation methodologies and public discourse.
researchSpeaking Circuit Engagements
Active speaking engagements at Yale, Stanford, CMU, and Princeton.
careerAGI Position Assessment
Unknown
Skeptical of both extreme hype and extreme doom. Argues that current AI systems lack true understanding and that we need better evaluation methods. Focuses on what AI actually can and cannot do, rather than speculative scenarios.
Skeptical of both extreme hype and extreme doom. Argues that current AI systems lack true understanding and that we need better evaluation methods. Focuses on what AI actually can and cannot do, rather than speculative scenarios.
Intercepted Communications
“Current AI systems lack true understanding.”
“We need better evaluation methods for AI.”
“It's important to cut through the hype surrounding AI.”
“AI can do remarkable things, but it has limitations.”
“We must focus on what AI actually can and cannot do.”
Research Output
Abstraction and Analogy in AI Systems
2022Research on analogy-making in AI.
Evaluating AI: A Methodological Approach
2021Proposed new methodologies for AI evaluation.
Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking Humans
2019Widely praised introduction to AI.
Genetic Algorithms: Theory and Applications
2018Exploration of genetic algorithms in AI.
Complexity: A Guided Tour
2009Comprehensive overview of complexity science.
Known Associates
Douglas Hofstadter
mentorPhD supervisor and influential cognitive scientist.
View Dossier →John Holland
mentorPhD supervisor and pioneer in complex adaptive systems.
View Dossier →Joshua Bengio
colleagueCollaborated on AI research and evaluation methodologies.
View Dossier →Yoshua Bengio
colleagueEngaged in discussions on AI safety and evaluation.
View Dossier →Organizational Affiliations
Current
Santa Fe Institute
Inaugural Fractal Faculty
2020-present
Former
Portland State University
Professor of Computer Science
2010-2020
Oregon Health & Science University
Professor of Computer Science
2005-2010
Source Material
Dossier last updated: 2026-03-04