My general research interests concern the development of automated, intelligent actors or agents, and thus straddle the disciplines of artificial intelligence and cognitive science. I have spent my research career developing computer systems that serve as models of human (or ``human-like'') high-level behavior and learning. To throw out a few labels, I am a ``system builder'', an ``empiricist'', and an ``inductionist''.
One of my specific goals is to discover (at some level of abstraction) the cognitive processes that occur in humans when they are learning, solving problems, and generating complex behavior. My primary modus operandi is to build computer systems that model these processes and then empirically compare the systems' behavior to actual human behavior. However, I am also interested in building such systems for their own sake, and exploring their application in simulated environments for training, design, and entertainment.