About Brian James Curry

About

Brian James Curry is a Kansas City–based applied AI researcher and causal economist working at the intersection of causal inference, cognitive AI architecture, and the economics of intelligent automation.

Research Focus

My work centers on a core question: how do we move from descriptive analytics to causal reasoning — building systems that don't just report what happened, but understand why it happened and how to influence what happens next. This spans three interconnected domains: the measurement science of attributing economic value to decisions and investments, the architecture of agentic AI systems capable of memory and learning, and the macroeconomic consequences of intelligent automation on labor and enterprise advantage.

I'm the founder of Vector1 Research, an independent lab focused on:
— Causal inference and simulation-based modeling
— Marketing economics and measurement science
— Cognitive AI architecture and agentic systems
— AI safety, governance, and evaluation
— The macroeconomics of intelligent automation

I also write critically on AI's effects on work, the economy, and the white-collar labor market.

Research & Contributions

— Papilon — Open-source Python library for causal inference, marketing economics, and counterfactual simulation
— PyCausalSim — Simulation-based framework for causal discovery and marketing mix modeling, measuring true incrementality through agent-based methods
— MeaningFlow — Semantic content modeling and ontology framework for attribution and audience analytics
— Memory-Node Encapsulation (MNE) — Cognitive AI architecture for episodic memory in agentic systems, enabling AI agents to learn from experience
— The Autonomy Economy — Macroeconomic framework for understanding AI-driven economic transformation
— 200+ published articles on AI evaluation, causal inference, agent systems, and applied AI strategy at medium.com/@brian-curry-research

Applied Experience

My research is grounded in enterprise practice. I've led data science, applied AI, and analytics initiatives across major organizations including Koch Industries ($125B, Lead Data/Applied Scientist), Tractor Supply Company ($15B, Fortune 300, Marketing Data Scientist & AI Developer), Vail Resorts, Hallmark Cards ($4B, Senior Data Analyst & Product Owner), Garmin Ltd. ($5B, Data Analyst), and senior digital strategy roles at AT&T and McClatchy Media. In 2016, I founded KC AI Lab, growing it into a 1,500-member AI/ML community before stepping back from organizational leadership in 2018 to focus on research.

Personal

I grew up poor in a small farming town in Kansas and started working the crop fields at twelve. I attended Kansas State University as a collegiate athlete, later trained Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and am a working musician, composer, and painter. I'm the father of two wonderful humans.

My creative work — improvisation, composition, generative systems — informs how I think about AI. I see intelligent systems not as optimization problems alone, but as creative tools that can augment human capabilities while respecting human agency. The question that drives much of my work: how do we build systems that enhance rather than replace human judgment?

Get in Touch

I'm always interested in collaborating on hard problems at the intersection of AI, economics, and applied research. Whether you're building causal measurement frameworks, deploying agentic systems, or thinking through enterprise AI strategy, let's connect.

Based in Kansas City, working globally.

Contact: brian at vector1.ai
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/research-economic-systems-ai-algorithmic-optimization-seo/
Medium: medium.com/@brian-curry-research
GitHub: github.com/Bodhi8