Christopher J. Diak, MDiv

About Me

I work on model behavior as a researcher in the Lab for Mind, Brain, and Computation at Dartmouth College and as a model behavior tutor with xAI.

Drawing on literature from cognitive science, organizational behavior, and deep reinforcement learning, my research studies how mental representations are composed and the limits of reasoning, executive function, and working memory under capacity constraints. I often wonder: "How do the strategies we use to think shape what can be thought?"

At xAI, I focus on Epistemic Rigor & Truthfulness . We're always seeking exceptional tutors! If you're interested in joining xAI, please reach out.

Previously, I was an associate with The Chernik Group specializing in executive functioning, metacognition, and habit formation.

As a student at Middlebury and Harvard, I was fortunate to work with some of the world's great laboratories in biology, neuroscience, psychology, and artificial intelligence:

• Rapoport Laboratory, Harvard Medical School
• ChatLab, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania
• Joshua Greene Laboratory, Harvard University
• Model Behavior Team at OpenAI

While at Harvard, I worked for five years as a program manager for The Spiritual Lives of Leaders and The Forum for Growth & Innovation at Harvard Business School, and as a research associate in the General Management and Finance Units.

I grew up on a sheep farm in Grafton, Vermont, as the eldest son of artisans Tom and Linda Diak, and was the first member of my family to go to college. My wife, Rachel Aurora, is a studio artist working in paint, ceramics, and herbal medicines.

I hold an MDiv from Harvard Divinity School and a BA from Middlebury College.

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