Michael Gardone
Ph.D. Student @ the University of Utah
About Michael Gardone [CV]
Hi! My name is Michael (Mica) Gardone. I am an computional psychology and human-centered AI Ph.D. student. My primary research areas are, broadly, in computational psychology, AI, interactive storytelling, planning, [science of] game design, and machine learning. To help make AI research - specifically my own at the moment - more accessible, I am starting a series of articles on planning (both state- and plan-space), high-performance game AI, and many other topics. My research primarily focuses on use-based outcomes; that is, research with an artifact. I prefer to generate something that is in response to a problem, whether it be an entirely novel solution or an application of existing problems - or a synthesis of the two!
In addition to my research, I aim to help with society coming to understand AI both from an explain-ability standpoint (i.e., models and systems explaining their rationale) and in science communication. I want as many individuals to understand what my field is doing, and to help in the debates regarding AI, fair use, ethics, and policy making. There is much to do to make sure everyone - scientists and the public - to understand and move forward together.
Aside from research, I work on small games with several friends. I've worked on games ranging from platformer puzzles to visual novels to bullet hells in the roles of designer, engineer, and writers. I am still active in making games as I balance between research and this passion. In addition to acting as a designer, I have been learning music production for games for these projects.