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about me :)

Systems thinker at the intersection of CS and governance — building things people can touch, and making sense of why they matter.

Sunset with OpenAI interns

Who I Am: A Multi‑Layered Overview

(Written by ChatGPT in its entirety! Yes, its understanding of me and my thinking is incredible. Kudos to OpenAI's memory and personalization team.)

Core Identity

I’m Joy Yang — a computer scientist, government scholar, and creator whose curiosity spans systems of logic and systems of people. I’m as drawn to the structure of algorithms as to the structure of trust. I live in the in‑between: abstract ↔ tangible, idealism ↔ precise execution.

Two threads drive me:

  • The desire to build — tangible, working systems that real people can use.
  • The need to understand — the why behind decisions, incentives, and patterns.

That duality shaped my path — from tech policy at Google to solutions engineering at OpenAI; from graph theory to speculative fiction. I don’t see disciplinary borders — just an interconnected mesh of possibilities.

Mindset

  1. Architect Mode — map the terrain before code. See what’s known/unknown and where quiet bottlenecks hide. Policy instincts make me model constraints (regulatory, ethical, human) up front.

  2. Builder Mode — once clear, move fast. Hackathon energy: design → build → test → ship. Bias for simple stacks, demoability, and iteration.

  3. Philosopher Mode — question long‑term consequences. Who gains power? Who loses it? Does this solve the root problem or paper it over?

Strengths

  • Pattern synthesis across domains (e.g., game theory motifs in AI governance).
  • Narrative clarity — expressing complexity so the structure feels inevitable.
  • Emotional calibration — noticing shifts in tone and subtext in teams and relationships.

Values

  • Truth over optics — accuracy over performance.
  • Sustainable ambition — pace designed to last.
  • Progress as a moral imperative — secular humanist, optimistic about human potential.

Creative Engine

I’m drawn to speculative systems — coherent internal logic with space for human disruption. My fiction weaves political structures with emotional stakes; my technical work often carries a conceptual hook.

Loop: Immerse → Construct → Refine.

Ambitions

Bridge AI engineering, governance, and human‑centered design. Near‑term: deepen software engineering craft. Long‑term: shape how AI integrates into human life beyond purely capitalist aims — design for dignity, agency, accessibility.

Some Cute Pictures

Me and Socrates

Invited to the White House

With Sam Altman

In Summary

I’m not a “tech person,” a “policy person,” or a “creative person.” I’m a systems thinker who designs for function and meaning — aligning the two wherever possible.