🕒 Now - What I'm Currently Focused On

Mar 26, 2025·
Chris Mascioli
Chris Mascioli
· 2 min read

Welcome to my “Now” page 👋

Table of Contents

Current Research Focus

I’m currently working on several projects at the intersection of AI, transformers, LLMs, and multi-agent systems:

1. LLMs as Bargaining Agents

I’m investigating the use of Large Language Models (LLMs) as bargaining agents in strategic interactions. This work includes:

  • Developing frameworks to evaluate LLM performance in bargaining scenarios
  • Comparing LLM performance to traditional game-theoretic equilibrium predictions
  • Exploring how LLMs might be used in automated negotiation systems
  • How finetuning an LLM to match solver output generalizes to other bargaining scenarios

2. FairFormer

I’m working on the FairFormer architecture which uses a transformer to solve fair division. This work includes

  • Developing a novel transformer architecture specialized for fair division
  • Expanding it to expanded scenarios – like budget-constrained

3. Mechanism Design Approaches to Mixture of Experts

I’m developing new approaches to Mixture of Experts (MoE) architectures using ideas from mechanism design and economics. This work explores:

  • Incentive-compatible routing mechanisms for expert selection
  • Market-based approaches to expert specialization and load balancing

This research aims to address current inefficiencies in MoE architectures by bringing in insights from economic mechanism design.

Why a “Now” Page?

A “Now” page is a snapshot of my current professional focus and interests. Unlike social media updates or blog posts that can get buried in feeds, this page stays in one place and is regularly updated.

Key benefits:

  1. It helps me clarify my priorities and commitments
  2. It provides an easy way for colleagues and friends to see what I’m up to
  3. It creates a record of my professional journey over time

Recent Updates

  • November 2025: Updated with current research projects
  • March 2025: Updated with current research projects
  • March 2025: Initial creation of Now page

This page was inspired by Derek Sivers’ now page movement.

Last updated: November 19, 2025

Now Projects