Nils Lang

Met at: [Update if available] Met date: 2025-03-24 (birthday dinner at Zach Casler's home) Role(s): Gauntlet AI Participant, Former Grad Student, AI Researcher Last interaction: 2025-03-24 (Birthday dinner)

Contact Information

• Email: [Update if available]
• Phone: [Update if available]
• Address: [Update if relevant]

Personal Background

• Attended Gary's birthday dinner at Zach Casler's home on 2025-03-24
• From Switzerland/has Swiss background (discussed Zurich's housing economics)
• Familiar with Swiss economic systems and real estate trends
• Spent time in Denmark (noted by Dallas that his design sensibilities seemed Danish)
• Has German roots (Klein and Lang are both German names, discussed during dinner)
• Personal philosophy: "Stop fighting yourself" and "Stop trying to prove a point"
• Had previously aspired to be a professor but reconsidered this path
• Interested in philosophy, mentioned reading works by Ayn Rand while walking at night

Professional Background

• Currently participating in the Gauntlet AI program
• Previously a graduate student at a psychiatric hospital in Missouri ("the best psychiatric hospital in the world")
• Was the "only AI/tech guy" at the psychiatric hospital
• Worked with doctors and psychologists on AI applications
• Left graduate school after relationship with his supervisor (the chief of the hospital) deteriorated
• Joined Gauntlet AI initially thinking it would be a three-month catch-up on AI, then quit his academic position
• Was working approximately 100 hours per week in graduate school without realizing it

Expertise

• AI research and applications
• Psychology and psychiatric applications of AI
• Philosophy
• Understanding of European economic systems
• Experience with automated theory and formal program synthesis
• Knowledge of various AI development approaches

Current Projects & Interests

• Creating a "fiber for geniuses" focused on boundary problems of humanity
• Building systems for learning in "edge cases"
• Interested in program synthesis and automated axiomatic proof solvers
• Following developments from "Israeli child genius" working on specification-first programming
• Interested in the intersection of AI with formal methods and program synthesis
• Views education broadly as continuous learning for all ages, not just children
• Sees AI as enabling people to learn and contribute to knowledge creation more efficiently

Connections

• Gary Sheng (Attended birthday dinner together, fellow Gauntlet AI participant)
• Zachary Casler (Attended birthday dinner at his home)
• Joe Liemandt (Attended birthday dinner together, aligned on broader education missions)
• Uzair Mahmud (Attended birthday dinner together, fellow Gauntlet AI participant)
• Dallas Klein (Attended birthday dinner together, fellow Gauntlet AI participant)
• Spencer Chubb (Attended birthday dinner together, fellow Gauntlet AI participant)
• Gabe (Spencer's fiancee) (Attended birthday dinner together)
• Lamar Cannon (Attended birthday dinner together, fellow Gauntlet AI participant)
• Malekai Mischke (Attended birthday dinner together, fellow Gauntlet AI participant)
• Matthew Brown (Attended birthday dinner together)
• References to connections with an "Israeli child genius" in program synthesis

Notes

From the dinner transcript, Nils appears to be deeply interested in the intersection of AI with formal methods and program synthesis. He has a background bridging technical AI development with psychiatric applications, giving him a unique perspective on both the technical and human aspects of technology.

His comments about "stop fighting yourself" reflect a personal philosophy that seems to have emerged from his experience of burning out in graduate school while trying to prove his worth in academia. He has since redirected his energy toward more self-directed and fulfilling pursuits, including his work with Gauntlet AI.

Nils appears to have a global perspective, with connections to Switzerland, Denmark, and Germany, and demonstrates knowledge of international economic systems. His interest in philosophy, particularly works like Ayn Rand's that emphasize individual creation and achievement, aligns with his current focus on enabling human potential through technology.

While Joe Liemandt focuses on education for children, Nils seems more interested in continuous learning for adults and specialists, though he recognizes the alignment of their missions in the broader context of using AI to enhance human learning capabilities.

Interaction History

• 2025-03-24: Attended Gary's birthday dinner at Zach Casler's home with Joe Liemandt and other friends.
• 2025-08-08: Extended philosophical conversation with Gary covering comprehensive critique of Alpha Schools and Joe Liemandt, exploration of Christianity and faith, analysis of elite corruption and complicity, and discussion of secularism in Western culture. Nils provided sophisticated analysis of Joe's 30-year organizational patterns: "very little personal accountability, because you constantly basically just have to forward whatever's coming from the top without really allowing yourself to critically engage with it, combined with aggressive micromanagement." Shared insights on Christianity's "radical simplicity" and why people construct complex intermediaries to avoid its demands. Discussed European collective decision-making versus American individualism, and explored practical Christianity focused on creating "Heaven and Hell on Earth" rather than external realms. Conversation included analysis of Peter Thiel's transformation from "rebel alliance" to power accumulation, Elite complicity in corruption, and the difficulty of Christian political engagement. Both participants processed their shared Gauntlet/Alpha experience as catalyst for deeper spiritual exploration and institutional critique.

Potential Collaboration Areas

• AI systems for psychiatric applications
• Program synthesis and formal methods in AI
• Education technology for specialized/advanced learners
• Creating platforms for "edge case" learning
• Developing AI systems that enhance human knowledge creation
• Philosophical frameworks for AI development and application
• Cross-cultural technology implementation strategies

Transcripts

Transcript ID	Date	Summary
2025-08-08-gary-sheng-nils-lang-alpha-schools-critique-faith-exploration	2025-08-08	Comprehensive philosophical conversation covering Alpha Schools critique, Christianity and faith exploration, and cultural analysis
2025-03-24-joe-liemandt-birthday-dinner	2025-03-24	Birthday dinner at Zachary Casler's home with extensive discussion on education reform, AI development, and Alpha Schools initiatives