David Mullett

Research orientation

The failure modes that recur across recursive systems — markets, models, recommenders — are mostly described in the register of theory and criticism: causes named, harms cataloged, a shared structure gestured at but rarely specified tightly enough to fail a test. I’m interested in moving the problem from criticism to science — drawing a formal claim boundary and subjecting it to a fair test.

I came to the question through that critical literature, and through working at scale inside recommendation and discovery systems; Loopzero is my attempt at the specification — so far a falsifiable framework and directional evidence, not a finished detector. The boundary is the point, and I keep it explicit.

Background

• Independent researcher · Loopzero · 2023–present
• Lead Product Designer, Engagement & Growth · Meta Reality Labs (Los Angeles) · 2021–2023 — shaping behavior at consumer scale
• Co-Founder & Chief Design Officer · Pupil (London) · 2015–2021 — machine learning + spatial data company, ~$50M raised (now Digital Reality Corp)
• Earlier — Director at Ridley Scott Associates (London & Los Angeles); Founder of cinematic-VR studio Virtualize (New York).
• Education — MA Visual Design, Royal College of Art (London); BA Art History, Northwestern University (Evanston).