Hello—I’m Philip Kahn
AI research scientist, entrepreneur, and author explores how decisions get made
Philip Kahn spent decades studying decision-making in complex real-world systems. In his book Good Personal Decisions, he explores how our choices are shaped by the environments that make them possible—and who gets to decide.
As an AI research scientist working in computer vision and planning, Kahn founded and led a robotics company—inventing products, managing teams, and shaping decision environments. As a result, his work reflects a lifelong pursuit of useful, creative decision-making in the real world, which he now shares in his upcoming book Good Personal Decisions.
How I think about the BOOK
Decisions aren’t just choices—they’re environments
We often treat decision-making as a personal skill: gather information, weigh options, choose wisely. However, in practice, the options we see—and the costs of choosing them—are shaped by the systems around us.
In both research and entrepreneurship, I’ve watched small design decisions cascade into major outcomes: what gets measured, what gets rewarded, what gets hidden, and what becomes “normal.” As a result, those patterns show up everywhere—from product design to public policy to everyday life.
“Our environments define our decisions, what we can do, and who we can become.”
from Good Personal Decisions by Philip Kahn
What shaped this book
A career spent building and studying intelligent systems led to a simple question: who gets to decide what choices are available—and what happens when those environments change?
Origins
From robotics to real-world decision environments
My work has focused on how people and machines act under constraints—time, information, incentives, and organizational structure. Those constraints don’t just influence decisions; they create the decision space.
The Decision Age
Why “good decisions” are harder than they look
Today, platforms, policies, and algorithms increasingly shape what we see, what we can do, and what we’re nudged to choose. Understanding that architecture is essential to making decisions that remain genuinely ours.
What to expect
A practical lens for readers and leaders
The book blends research, stories, and frameworks you can use—whether you’re making personal choices, leading teams, or designing systems that affect others.