Hi, I'm Max đź‘‹
Making intelligence less artificial.
I'm a Research Scientist with a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Texas at Dallas. I've been programming since I was 12, and my passion for computers and technology eventually led me down the academic research path.
My research focuses on Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Artificial Intelligence, specifically on understanding how controversial issues are framed on social media. I had the unique opportunity to pursue my Ph.D. during a global pandemic, which significantly influenced my research into how misinformation spreads and impacts public opinion—particularly around topics like vaccine hesitancy.
Beyond academia, I'm the Founder and CEO of AI Escape, where we're building revolutionary escape room experiences powered by AI. I also run AI Escape Consulting, helping businesses integrate AI into their operations in meaningful, practical ways.
This blog, less artificial, is my platform for sharing the positive side of AI—because while there's plenty of doom and gloom in the discourse, I believe AI is a tool that can be used for incredible good. The people using it for harmful purposes are the problem, not the technology itself.
Dissertation
Automatic Discovery of Frames of Communication and Their Stance Information
Novel methods for uncovering Frames of Communication on social media, detecting when they're evoked, and identifying stance towards them.
Read the full dissertationExperience
Research Scientist
Language Computer CorporationProviding natural language processing services to government agencies & businesses using the latest in NLP technology.
Founder & CEO
AI Escape LLCRevolutionary escape room platform using AI to generate dynamic, customized escape room experiences. Also offering consulting services for integrating AI into businesses.
VP of AI & Technology Development
USA Restaurant SuppliersSupercharging operations with AI, including AI assistants, automated storefront pricing, and AI-powered quotes for 1,000+ commercial kitchens.
AI Specialist
ZappyOptimizing operations and increasing revenue with AI for a company that rents portable chargers at 2,000+ venues across the US and Canada.
Research Scientist Intern
Amazon (Alexa)Worked on Alexa's Natural Language Understanding teams to discover and identify impactful customer feedback on social media with Machine Learning.
Graduate Teaching Assistant
UT DallasGrading graduate homework, guiding students during office hours, designing class projects, and overseeing exams.
AI Specialist
CapitalogixDeveloped Artificial Intelligence models for advanced financial analysis for automatic trading on Futures markets.
Education
Ph.D. in Computer Science
University of Texas at Dallas
Natural Language Processing, Social Media, Public Health, and Machine Learning
M.S. in Computer Science
University of Texas at Dallas
Intelligent Systems Specialization
B.S. in Computer Science
University of Texas at Dallas
Research Focus
My research focuses on employing Natural Language Processing with Artificial Intelligence on social media to understand how controversial issues are framed. I worked under the guidance of Dr. Sanda Harabagiu at the Human Language Technology Research Institute (HLTRI) at UT Dallas.
Key areas include stance detection, misinformation identification, frame discovery, and multimodal analysis of social media content.
COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Framings
Analyzing how misinformation frames vaccine confidence and impacts public opinion on social media.
Frame Discovery
Using Chain-of-Thought reasoning with GPT-4 to uncover frames of communication from social media discourse.
Need AI expertise?
AI Escape Consulting helps businesses integrate AI into their operations—from strategy to implementation.