Sedona, Arizona red rock landscape near Mark Watson's home
Mark Watson portrait

Mark Watson.

AI researcher, author of 20+ books, and lifelong learner with over four decades of experience in artificial intelligence. Offering free mentoring to developers and career-changers.

40+ Years in AI
20+ Books Published
55 US Patents

Let's Talk About Your Journey

I offer free mentoring — no strings attached. Whether you're switching careers, exploring AI, or planning a project, I'm happy to help.

What I Can Help With

With 40+ years in the industry, from early AI research to modern LLMs, I've seen technology evolve through many waves. I enjoy sharing that perspective.

  • Career advice and direction for tech professionals
  • Project design, architecture, and planning
  • Navigating the AI landscape — LLMs, deep learning, and beyond
  • Getting started with programming languages and tools
  • Discussing technology trends and opportunities

Format: 30 minutes on Zoom, or 45 minutes via email exchange. My advice is offered freely with no warranty.

✉ Reach Out
1982 Started in AI
20+ Books Written
55 US Patents
Free Always

Decades of Depth, Across Disciplines

Clients have included Google, Capital One, Disney, SAIC, CompassLabs, and more.

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Artificial Intelligence

From symbolic AI in the 1980s to modern LLMs and deep learning — a career spanning every major wave of AI innovation.

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Published Author

20+ books published through Springer-Verlag, McGraw-Hill, Morgan Kaufmann, and Leanpub. Many available to read for free online.

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Knowledge Graphs & Semantic Web

Deep expertise in linked data, RDF, SPARQL, and building knowledge graph applications for real-world use cases.

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LLMs & Deep Learning

Working with deep learning since 2015 and large language models since 2022. Practical integration experience for business applications.

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Polyglot Programmer

Fluent in Python, Common Lisp, Racket, Haskell, Clojure, Java, TypeScript, Swift, and more. Choosing the right tool for the job.

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55 US Patents

A long history of innovation across AI, NLP, and software engineering. Turning research ideas into protected intellectual property.

Read My Blogs

I write about AI, programming, technology, and life. Follow along on either platform.

Read My Books — Many for Free

All of my recent books are available on Leanpub. Most can be read online at no cost.

Practical Python Artificial Intelligence Programming AI · Deep Learning · Semantic Web
Loving Common Lisp, or the Savvy Programmer's Secret Weapon Common Lisp · Deep Learning · NLP · Semantic Web
Practical Artificial Intelligence Programming With Clojure Clojure · AI · Data Science · Semantic Web
Haskell Tutorial and Cookbook Haskell · Functional Programming
Practical AI Programming With Java Java · AI · Data Science · Semantic Web
A Lisp Programmer Living in Python-Land (Hy Language) Hy · Python · AI · Knowledge Graphs
Older published books (Springer-Verlag, McGraw-Hill, Morgan Kaufmann, and others)

After 20 years of writing for traditional publishers, I transitioned to self-publishing on Leanpub in 2013. My earlier titles include:

  • 📖 Scripting Intelligence: Web 3.0 Information Gathering and Processing — APress, 2009
  • 📖 Java 10 Minute Solutions — Sybex, 2004
  • 📖 Intelligent Java Applications for the Internet and Intranets — Morgan Kaufmann, 1997
  • 📖 Common LISP Modules: AI in the Era of Neural Networks and Chaos Theory — Springer-Verlag, 1991
  • 📖 Understanding UML: The Developer's Guide — Morgan Kaufmann, 1997
  • 📖 C++ Power Paradigms — McGraw-Hill, 1994
  • 📖 AI Agents in Virtual Reality Worlds — J. Wiley, 1996
  • 📖 Programming in Scheme — Springer-Verlag, 1996
  • 📖 Programming Intelligent Agents for the Internet — McGraw-Hill, 1996

Free PDF downloads of my semantic web books are also available:

Life Outside the Terminal

Cooking, photography, hiking the Arizona trails, and making music.

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Boogie Guitar Riff Electric Guitar
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Spanish Guitar Riff Acoustic Guitar
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Didgeridoo Session Didgeridoo
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Group Jam Session Didgeridoo, Indian Flute & Percussion

Contributing to the Community

My open source projects are hosted on GitHub — spanning AI tools, NLP libraries, knowledge graph utilities, and more. Pull requests are always welcome.

Python Common Lisp Racket Haskell Clojure Java TypeScript Swift Ruby
View GitHub Repositories ↗

Occasional Small Projects

I am semi-retired and selectively take on small consulting projects — particularly involving LLMs, knowledge graphs, and AI integration. If you have something interesting, let's talk.

[email protected]