Zvi Mowshowitz
| Zvi Mowshowitz | |
|---|---|
 Zvi Mowshowitz playing poker at the Manifold conference in 2023 | |
| Residence | New York, NY, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Pro Tour debut | 1998 Pro Tour Los Angeles |
| Winnings | US$ 147,010[1] |
| Pro Tour wins (Top 8) | 1 (4)[2] |
| Grand Prix wins (Top 8) | 2 (9)[3] |
| Lifetime Pro Points | 261[4] |
| Planeswalker Level | 47 (Archmage) |
Zvi Mowshowitz is an American writer and member of the rationalist community who primarily discusses new developments in artificial intelligence. He is a former competitive Magic: The Gathering player and was CEO of MetaMed.
Career
[edit]Mowshowitz is an alumnus of Columbia University and holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics.[5][6] He co-founded and has been the CEO of MetaMed, a medical research analysis firm.[7] He has worked at Jane Street Capital, and has worked for the gambling industry in Las Vegas.[7][8] He attempted to launch an online trading card game, Emergents, in 2020.[7]
Magic: The Gathering
[edit]Mowshowitz held a developer intern position at Wizards of the Coast R&D in 2005.[9] He created the deck TurboZvi.[7] His first-place finishes at major competitions were the 1999 World Championships as part of the four-person United States national team, the 2001 Pro Tour Tokyo, and two 2003 Grand Prix. He has placed in the top eight of four Pro Tours, and earned over $140,000 playing Magic competitively.[10] In 2007, Mowshowitz was elected into the Magic Hall of Fame.[11]
| Season | Event type | Location | Format | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | Grand Prix | Boston | Block Constructed | 5–6 September 1998 | 4 |
| 1998–99 | Pro Tour | New York | Block Constructed | 30 April–2 May 1999 | 3 |
| 1998–99 | Grand Prix | Washington D.C. | Limited | 19–20 June 1999 | 4 |
| 1998–99 | Nationals | Special | 2–4 July 1999 | 4 | |
| 1998–99 | Worlds | Yokohama | National team | 4–8 August 1999 | 1 |
| 1999–00 | Invitational | Kuala Lumpur | Special | 2–5 March 2000 | 3 |
| 2000–01 | Grand Prix | Manchester | Limited | 7–8 October 2000 | 8 |
| 2000–01 | Pro Tour | Chicago | Standard | 1–3 December 2000 | 7 |
| 2000–01 | Pro Tour | Tokyo | Block Constructed | 16–18 March 2001 | 1 |
| 2000–01 | Masters | Barcelona | Booster Draft | 1–4 May 2001 | 4 |
| 2001–02 | Masters | New Orleans | Booster Draft | 31 October–3 November 2001 | 5 |
| 2001–02 | Masters | Osaka | Team Limited | 14–17 March 2002 | 5 |
| 2001–02 | Grand Prix | New Jersey | Team Limited | 29–30 June 2002 | 2 |
| 2002–03 | Grand Prix | New Orleans | Extended | 3–4 January 2003 | 1 |
| 2002–03 | Grand Prix | Boston | Limited | 22–23 February 2003 | 7 |
| 2002–03 | Masters | Yokohama | Booster Draft | 8–11 May 2003 | 5 |
| 2002–03 | Grand Prix | Pittsburgh | Team Limited | 31 May–1 June 2003 | 1 |
| 2003–04 | Grand Prix | Atlanta | Standard | 29–30 August 2003 | 5 |
| 2003–04 | Invitational | Los Angeles | Special | 11–13 May 2004 | 4 |
| 2012–13 | Grand Prix | Portland | Modern | 11–12 May 2013 | 3 |
Last updated: 12 May 2013
Source: Wizards.com
Mowshowitz has written about Magic for several outlets, including the official Magic website.[10]
Later career
[edit]Mowshowitz is on the board of directors for the Center for Applied Rationality, and is a member of the rationalist community.[12] He also founded Balsa Research, a nonprofit think tank which advocated for the repeal of the Jones Act, increasing the housing supply, and reform of the National Environmental Policy Act.[13] In 2023, Mowshowitz wrote an article for Vox on the topic of artificial intelligence safety.[14]
Mowshowitz has a blog on Substack under the name "Don't Worry about the Vase". He has written on topics such as artificial intelligence, economics, and the COVID-19 pandemic.[15][16][non-primary source needed]
Personal life
[edit]Mowshowitz is the son of American biochemist Deborah Mowshowitz. His parents have both worked as Columbia University professors.[7]
Further reading
[edit]- Kushner, David (2005). Jonny Magic and the Card Shark Kids : how a gang of geeks beat the odds and stormed Las Vegas. Random House. ISBN 1-4000-6407-4.
External links
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Top 200 All-Time Money Leaders". Wizards of the Coast. 2 October 2014. Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
- ^ "Lifetime Pro Tour Top 8s". Archived from the original on 14 March 2006. Retrieved 7 December 2007.
- ^ "Lifetime Grand Prix Top 8s". Archived from the original on 17 January 2006. Retrieved 7 December 2007.
- ^ "Lifetime Pro Points". Archived from the original on 18 December 2005. Retrieved 7 December 2007.
- ^ "LinkedIn Profile". LinkedIn. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
- ^ "Should we halt progress in AI? Reflections on our interview with Zvi Mowshowitz". 16 May 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Hackett, Robert; Roberts, Jeff John (13 June 2020). "Emergents: Zvi Mowshowitz's quest to shake up the video game business". Fortune. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ "AI #72: Denying the Future". 11 July 2024.
- ^ "The Origins of Zvi". Star City Games. 2005. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
- ^ a b "Magic Pro Tour Hall of Fame Profiles – Zvi Mowshowitz". Wizards of the Coast. 2007. Archived from the original on 3 December 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
- ^ "The Class of 2007". Wizards of the Coast. 7 September 2007. Archived from the original on 9 September 2007. Retrieved 9 September 2007.
- ^ Elinson, Zusha (22 February 2025). "A Silicon Valley Intellectual Society Kicked Them Out. Now They're Tied to a Killing Spree". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2 March 2025. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
- ^ "FAQ". Balsa Research. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
- ^ Mowshowitz, Zvi (13 December 2023). "We're still in a fight for survival when it comes to AI safety". Vox. Archived from the original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
- ^ Mowshowitz, Zvi (13 December 2023). "The Best of Don't Worry About the Vase". Don't Worry About the Vase. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
- ^ "Zvi Mowshowitz Profile and Activity". Vox. 13 December 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2025.