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Nicolas Gertler

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nicolas Gertler
Born2004
NationalityNicaraguan-American
EducationYale University (B.S. Cognitive Science, expected 2027)
Occupation(s)CEO of Mylon, Student, Researcher

Nicolas Gertler (born 2004) is a Nicaraguan-American student, AI ethicist, and entrepreneur at Yale University. He is known for his work in the development and deployment of responsible artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, particularly in education and research. Gertler is the Co-Founder and CEO of Mylon, an AI-powered platform aimed at democratizing access to philosophical and ethical knowledge. Gertler collaborated with Luciano Floridi, one of the world's most cited philosophers,[1] to build the Luciano Floridi Bot, the first-ever publicly released AI assistant trained on an academic's corpus of knowledge.[2]

Early Life and Education

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Gertler was born in 2004. He attended Campbell Hall in Studio City, California, where he graduated in 2023.[3] He is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Cognitive Science at Yale University.

Career

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Mylon and LuFlot

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As the Co-Founder & CEO of Mylon, Gertler developed and released the Luciano Floridi Bot—commonly known as "LuFlot"—a free AI-enabled chatbot that provides users with access to the works of philosopher Luciano Floridi. The bot has been used by over 415,000 people across 104 countries, registering more than 24,000 queries.[4][5] The project aims to democratize access to information about philosophy and AI ethics. It has been featured in publications such as Yale News, Inside Higher Ed, the American Philosophical Association, and the BBC.[6][7][8][9]

Gertler is now building Prose AI, a research platform that leverages AI agents to streamline source management, catalyze knowledge exploration, and provide intelligent writing assistance.[10]

Yale University

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At Yale University’s Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, Nicolas serves as the institution's first-ever AI Ambassador. In this role, he has advised over 130 faculty and staff members on how to responsibly integrate AI into both pedagogical and logistical processes.[11] He co-authored Yale's student-facing AI guidance and developed academic resources on AI integration. Additionally, he has worked closely with Yale’s Provost, Associate Provost for Academic Initiatives, and Deans to develop equitable generative AI tools.[12]

As a Director's Fellow at the Yale Digital Ethics Center, Gertler works under the supervision of Professor Luciano Floridi. His research focuses on creating novel pedagogical approaches for AI-enabled platforms that foster more engaging and agentive learning experiences.[13]

Encode Justice

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Gertler serves as Chair of the AI Issue Advisory Council at Encode Justice, where he leads a team of over 25 AI advisors. Together they have provided Congress with seven policy memos covering domain-specific policy implications of AI in areas such as democracy, health care, labor markets, education, national security, climate change, and criminal justice.[14] As the organization's AI & Education Advisor, he authored an AI & Education Policy Framework that has supported multiple educational institutions in integrating AI into their pedagogy ethically.

Public Speaking and Engagements

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Gertler has spoken at various high-profile events and conferences. Alongside Okezue Bell, he was one of the youngest attendees at the U.S. Senate AI Insight Forums.[15] Other notable engagements include roundtables at the U.S. Department of Education, a Google Education Lecture series event,[16] and an AI & Education conference hosted by Digital Promise.[17]

Notable Projects

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  • Luciano Floridi Bot: Developed in collaboration with Luciano Floridi and high school student Rithvik Sabnekar. LuFlot is an AI chatbot that provides users with insights into Floridi’s philosophical works. The project aims to make complex academic ideas more accessible through an interactive platform.[18]
  • Prose AI: An ongoing project aimed at creating an AI-powered research platform that streamlines source management and provides intelligent writing assistance.[19]

Awards and Recognition

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Gertler is a recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Slavin Foundation Fellowship,[20] the Opus 73 Foundation AI Prize,[21] and is the youngest recipient of Yale College's Y-Work Award for his contributions to campus life.[22]

Media Features

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Gertler has been featured in several prominent publications:

References

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  1. ^ "Citation Rankings of Philosophers Based on Scopus Data". Daily Nous. November 29, 2021.
  2. ^ "Yale freshman creates AI chatbot with answers on AI ethics". Yale News. April 16, 2024.
  3. ^ "Nicolas Gertler '23". Campbell Hall. January 8, 2024.
  4. ^ "Student-developed AI chatbot opens Yale philosopher's works to all". Yale News. April 16, 2024.
  5. ^ "LuFlot: The First Philosopher-Powered Chatbot". American Philosophical Association Blog. April 26, 2024.
  6. ^ "Student-developed AI chatbot opens Yale philosopher's works to all". Yale News. April 16, 2024.
  7. ^ "Yale freshman creates AI chatbot with answers on AI ethics". Inside Higher Ed. May 2, 2024.
  8. ^ "LuFlot: The First Philosopher-Powered Chatbot". American Philosophical Association Blog. April 26, 2024.
  9. ^ "Philosopher Daniel Dennett on Artificial Intelligence and Consciousness". BBC Future. April 22, 2024.
  10. ^ "Nicolas Gertler's Profile at Digital Ethics Center". Yale Digital Ethics Center.
  11. ^ "Nicolas Gertler's Profile at Digital Ethics Center". Yale Digital Ethics Center.
  12. ^ "Nicolas Gertler's Profile at Digital Ethics Center". Yale Digital Ethics Center.
  13. ^ "Nicolas Gertler's Profile at Digital Ethics Center". Yale Digital Ethics Center.
  14. ^ "Nicolas Gertler's Profile at Encode Justice: AI2030 Initiative". Encode Justice: AI2030 Initiative.
  15. ^ "Nicolas Gertler LinkedIn Post". LinkedIn.
  16. ^ "Nicolas Gertler LinkedIn Post on Google Education Lecture". LinkedIn.
  17. ^ "5 Powerful Moments from Our 2023 Convening on Inclusive Innovation and Education R&D". Digital Promise. November 29, 2023.
  18. ^ "Nicolas Gertler's Profile at Digital Ethics Center". Yale Digital Ethics Center.
  19. ^ "Nicolas Gertler's Profile at Digital Ethics Center". Yale Digital Ethics Center.
  20. ^ "Slavin Foundation Fellows". Slavin Foundation.
  21. ^ "Opus 73 Foundation AI Prize". YouTube.
  22. ^ "Yale honors 10 student workers who made key campus contributions to the university community through their work at the university". Yale News. May 2, 2024.
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