01 — Identity

About Me

I’m Sebin (Sven) Im, an AI researcher in Toronto working at the intersection of machine intelligence, statistics, and computational cognitive science.

A mind for systems

I hold an HBSc in Computer Science and Statistics from the University of Toronto. My work moves between theoretical questions — how agents learn, represent, and decide — and systems that have to run in the real world.

I founded Mentis Journal, previously served as president of the Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence Students’ Association (CASA), and now research AI at DRDC, Department of National Defence.

Toronto DRDC / DND U of T Mentis Journal

02 — Cortex

Artificial Intelligence

The brain on the landing page is a metaphor I actually work with: graphs, inference, local models, and the messy loop between perception and action.

Current focus areas include Bayesian machine learning, reinforcement learning, computer vision with YOLOv8, and local RAG + LLM stacks that keep data on-device.

I’m interested in theoretical AI and computational cognitive science: not only whether a model scores well, but what kind of mind-like structure it implies — representation, uncertainty, and control.

At DRDC I apply these ideas in defence research contexts, where reliability and interpretability matter as much as raw capability.

Bayesian ML Reinforcement learning YOLOv8 Local RAG + LLM Cognitive science

Research texture

From neurons to nodes

Networks, pulses, and local computation — the same visual language as this site, used as a working sketch of how I think about models.

03 — Synapses

Projects

Selected builds, communities, and experiments. Some are software. Some are rooms full of people thinking out loud.

Founder & director · 2024

Mentis Journal

An undergraduate journal for mind, brain, and interdisciplinary research, founded at University College, University of Toronto.

Symposium · Feb 2024

UTISM

University of Toronto Interdisciplinary Symposium of the Mind — gathering cognitive science, CS, and philosophy at Bahen Centre.

Python · GitHub

PSATools

A graded-cards information warehouse and management system. Cataloguing, condition, and the unglamorous work of keeping data honest.

2020 — 2022

Daniels × UTMC

Minecraft course team lead with the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design — teaching space through a sandbox engine.

Jul 2023

MOCA cloud technician

Cloud server technician for a Minecraft camp at the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto — keeping a shared world alive for a room of builders.

Jan 2023

Confluence

University of Toronto undergraduate research conference — organizing a venue where student research gets a real audience.

04 — Trace

Career

A path through research, student leadership, and systems work. Titles change; the through-line is building minds — human and artificial.

• Now

  AI Researcher · DRDC

  Department of National Defence / Ministère de la défense nationale. Applied AI research with an emphasis on robust, inspectable systems.

• 2024

  Founder & Director · Mentis Journal

  University College, University of Toronto. Built an editorial home for interdisciplinary work on the mind.

• Feb 2024

  UTISM

  University of Toronto Interdisciplinary Symposium of the Mind, Bahen Centre for Information Technology.

• Nov 2023

  Cognitive Science Program Ambassador

  Sidney Smith Hall, University of Toronto. Representing the program to incoming and current students.

• Apr 2023

  President · CASA

  Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence Students’ Association, University College.

• 2020 — 2022

  Course team lead · Daniels × UTMC

  Minecraft-based design pedagogy with the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design.

Leadership

CASA

Building a student community where cognitive science and AI actually talk to each other.

Program

Ambassador

Translating a dense, beautiful field into a path someone can actually walk.

05 — Signal

Contact

If a node lit up for you, send a signal back. I’m based in Toronto and usually reachable through the public traces below.

Click the brain in the corner to return to the network.