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Moses Silbiger, MA
Researcher - AI · Interactive Entertainment · Developmental Psychology
Researcher Context & Background
The Story Behind the Research(er)
Moses Silbiger, MA
Researcher - AI · Interactive Entertainment · Developmental Psychology
I got my first video game at ten years old. It was Pong. Then came the Intellivision. Then the VIC-20. Then the Commodore 64 - the epitome of gaming at the time. My father was always drawn to technology - and somewhere along the way, so was I.
Gaming never left me. Through those years I moved to PC - where technology and creative work converged naturally.
Later came the Wii, Xbox, and PlayStation - each generation pushing the boundaries of what interactive experience could be.
A lifelong journey · from Pong to PC to XR · from Architecture to Psychology to Press Play to Grow!
I went on to study Architecture - a discipline that taught me to think in systems, balance function with experience, and design environments that shape how people feel and move through the world. But during those years, a parallel interest was quietly growing alongside it: psychology and human development.
That seed traveled with me when I moved to the US. It took years to mature - but eventually I decided to pursue a Master's degree in Integral Psychology with a Graduate Certification in Professional Coaching - a program that embraced everything I cared about: human growth, developmental psychology, systems thinking, and the question of how people develop across multiple dimensions of their lives.
For my final project, I wanted to do something that converged all of these passions.
But first I needed to answer a question: what would be the ideal vehicle to catalyze human development at scale?
My research gave me a clear answer - interactive entertainment. Games. Because of one thing above all others: interactivity.
That same year, I attended the Game Developers Conference and witnessed firsthand the extraordinary scope and sophistication of the video game industry - decades ahead of most others, as Ray Kurzweil noted in his presentation at the time.
What made games so powerful and advanced was already embedded in their architecture - adaptive, responsive, intelligent systems.
The term AI wasn't popular yet. But the capability was already there.
By the time I walked into that conference, I wasn't just an observer. From Pong to Intellivision, from the VIC-20 to the Commodore 64, from PC to more advanced game consoles - I had lived through nearly every major chapter of gaming's evolution.
What had begun as a child pressing buttons on a screen had quietly become a lifelong relationship with interactive technology. I just hadn't yet understood why. Until I did.
Suddenly everything converged. The games I had been playing since I was ten. The systemic thinking of architecture. The passion for human development.
The research pointing directly at interactive entertainment as the vehicle.
That convergence became Press Play to Grow!
Game Developers Conference (GDC) · San Francisco·2008
Where it all started
Published Article JITP · SUNY Press · 2010 +
Integral Theory Conference (ITC)
Research Poster Game Concept · Honorable Mention·2010
That same energy took me to SXSW in 2011 - this time as a correspondent for Digital Designer Magazine, part of the UOL ecosystem, one of Brazil's largest digital media publications - covering the intersection of technology, culture, and interactive media at one of the world's most forward-thinking events.
Fast forward to SXSW 2023 and 2024 - where AI had become the buzzword and the omnipresent subject across virtually every presentation.
I was already on my way, exploring what this disruptive technology could offer - and what it meant for a research framework I had never abandoned.
Nearly two decades after that first SXSW - and several GDC and SXSW editions later - I had already revisited and re-engaged with Press Play to Grow! through the lens of AI. Because I clearly saw that the emergence of such disruptive and revolutionary technology could finally make the framework fully viable.
That's when I attended Ray Kurzweil's lecture at HumanX 2026. This time the subject wasn't video games - it was AI.
But sitting in that room, I recognized the same thread. What was embedded invisibly in games in 2007 had now become the defining technology of our time.
The convergence I had been building toward was no longer ahead of its time.
It was now.
And Press Play to Grow! was no longer a research artifact. It was a live proposition.
SXSW 2026·Austin, Texas + Human[X] 2026·San Francisco + Media Credentials·SXSW 2026 + Human[X] 2026 + MaxRender Magazine·Media Credential
Research Orientation
My research sits at the synergistic convergence of AI, Interactive Entertainment, and Developmental Psychology - exploring how play and interactive systems can be intentionally designed to catalyze human development. The question has driven me for over two decades.
Field presence spans press coverage of the Game Developers Conference GDC (2008-2009) and SXSW (2011) as correspondent for UOL Digital Designer
- at the time one of Brazil's largest digital media publications - along with continued attendance at SXSW (2023-2024) and correspondent for
MaxRender Magazine for SXSW 2026 and Human [X] (2026) as an independent AI researcher exploring the synergistic convergence of
AI, Interactive Entertainment, and Developmental Psychology.
Academic Foundation
• Bachelor of Architecture - Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Brazil
• MA in Integral Psychology - John F. Kennedy University (JFKU)
• Graduate Certification in Professional Coaching - JFKU Graduate School of Psychology
• Authorized Practitioner, Maturity Assessment Profile (MAP) (Harvard-originated developmental assessment)
MA · Integral Psychology · JFKU + Graduate Certification · Professional Coaching · JFKU + MAP Certificate (Harvard-based) · Cook-Greuter & Associates
From Architecture to Developmental Systems
As introduced above, my professional foundation began in architecture, coupled with 3D digital visualization, and digital design -
disciplines operating at the intersection of structure, perception, and function.Unlike purely expressive visual arts, architecture must do more than appear coherent. It must function under gravity,
material constraints, budget realities, regulatory limits, and human behavior.
It requires balancing aesthetics with structural logic and usability.Likewise, 3D visualization and digital design involve modeling complex systems, simulating environments,
anticipating user interaction, and translating abstract concepts into coherent visual experiences.
Across these disciplines, the core skill remains consistent:
Designing systems that are structurally sound and experientially meaningful.
From designing physical spaces for human habitat
to designing experiential spaces for human flourishing
Over time, a parallel interest matured alongside this design practice: human development.
What began as personal inquiry during my architectural studies gradually evolved into formal academic pursuit.
I pursued a Master’s degree in Integral Psychology as a natural extension of this systems-oriented lens -
expanding from physical systems into developmental systems.
The same questions remained similar, but applied at different scales and dimensions:
• How could strategically designed structures catalyze integration & growth?• How could design of interactive & adaptive environments shape possibility?
Where architecture organizes space, developmental psychology integrates experience.
My academic training integrated developmental psychology, systems thinking, and contemplative traditions.
My focus, however, remained structural and applied.Development unfolds cognitively, emotionally, relationally, ethically, behaviorally, culturally, systemically - and existentially.
It is not linear, singular, or uniform.The foundational insights were articulated by major developmental thinkers, among others, such as:
Piaget, Maslow, Gardner, Graves, Cook-Greuter, Vygotsky, Wilber.
My contribution is directional:
How to translate these insights into structured, playful, interactive systems.
“Developmental architecture refers to the intentional design of interactive systems that calibrate challenge
to capacity, embedding growth directly into experience rather than treating it as external instruction.”
Master’s Final Project, Integral Psychology (2008) - Moses Silbiger
Academic Recognition & Publication
The research behind Press Play to Grow! was formally published and recognized within academic venues:• Published in Journal of Integral Theory and Practice (JITP), SUNY Press, Volume 5, Issue 2, pp. 117-148 (2010)
Article: Press Play to Grow! Designing Video Games as “Trojan Horses” to Catalyze and Integrate Human Development,
pages 117-148.
Master’s Final Project (Integral Psychology, JFK University, 2008).
Original research manuscript on which the later Journal of Integral Theory and Practice publication was based.
Open-access archival copy available.
“Video games can function as 'Trojan Horses' for developmental growth,
embedding structured transformation within engaging interactive systems.”
Journal of Integral Theory and Practice (JITP, SUNY Press), 2010 - Moses Silbiger
• Two Honorable Mentions -Integral Theory Conference (2008)
• Honorable Mention - Integral Theory Conference (2010)• Research presented at:• Game Learning Society (G+L+S), University of Wisconsin-Madison (2008)
• Meaningful Play Conference, University of Michigan (2008)
• Integral Theory Conference, John F. Kennedy University (2008, 2010)
The research framework originated in the Master’s Final Project (2008), was presented at academic conferences,
and was subsequently published in 2010 in the Journal of Integral Theory and Practice (SUNY Press).
Games+Learning+Society (GLS) 2008·University of Wisconsin-Madison +
Meaningful Play 2008·University of Michigan +
Integral Theory Conference (ITC) 2008 & 2010·JFKU
Academic Journal Cover
During my graduate research, I began formalizing what I call developmental architecture -
the design of interactive environments that catalyze and adapt to human growth..
Developmental Architecture
My work drew from developmental psychology researchers including Vygotsky, Gardner, Cook-Greuter, Kohlberg, Maslow, and Wilber -
and from play, flow, and game design research including Csikszentmihalyi, Gee, Zimmerman, Bogost, and Schell - among others.
These frameworks converge on a central insight:
Growth accelerates when challenge is precisely calibrated to capacity.
In practical terms, this means environments can be designed to:• Align difficulty with skill level• Provide structured feedback loops• Sustain engagement at the edge of competence• Support cognitive, emotional, ethical, somatic, and relational development
Growth unfolds across multiple dimensions·at different paces
guided by an invisible intelligent architecture & game design ·
powered by AI & Developmental Psychology frameworks
I explored how interactive systems could dynamically align challenge with capacity.
Rather than forcing growth, a system can:• Detect behavioral and cognitive patterns• Adjust challenge in real time• Scaffold progression across developmental levels and multiple lines of intelligence• Integrate internal and external dimensions of growth
Rather than treating development as abstract theory, I approached it architecturally -
asking how these developmental insights could be embedded into designed systems.The goal was not conceptual commentary. It was implementation.
At the time, implementing this architecture dynamically required
technological responsiveness that did not yet exist at scale.
Today, AI systems can.
Applied Experiments & Hibernation Period
Between 2010 and 2024, I developed several applied initiatives translating developmental psychology and AI
into operational interactive systems.These initiatives include two applied simulation architecture efforts - CODE S.U.S. (2010) and METASIMZ (2024)
alongside METAUREUS (2022–2025), an AI/XR studio infrastructure supporting immersive simulation development.In parallel, an awarded storyboard later produced as Episode 3 of the BAR KARMA TV series (Current TV, 2011)
represented a participatory media contribution embedding developmental themes within a crowdsourced television experiment.Most recently, this work informed a dual-use (military + civilian scalable) simulation proposal for the DoD/U.S. Air Force, METASIMZ (2024) - integrating
immersive technology with adaptive psychological-state modeling and human performance assessment.
1. METASIMZ - XR Training Simulation Proposal for U.S. Dept. of Defense (DoD) - U.S. Air Force (2024)
An immersive training simulation grant proposal integrating extended reality (XR – VR/AR), LiDAR-enabled spatial modeling,
adaptive systems architecture, and a game-structured performance framework.A central innovation was the integration of psychological resilience systems - including PTSD response patterns,
emotional regulation challenges, stress adaptation modeling, and multi-line developmental intelligence
(intellectual, emotional, somatic, and kinesthetic).The concept proposed a dual-use simulation architecture - initially focused on U.S. Air Force tactical readiness and resilience training,
with a clear pathway into scalable civilian applications including emergency response training, law enforcement simulations,
and adaptive AR/XR game-based platforms for broader public use.While the proposal was fully articulated and architecturally complete, it was not submitted - due to eligibility constraints related to the
international composition of the development team. The conceptual architecture remains fully extensible.
▶ More details on Page 3
PROPOSAL SAMPLE - METASIMZ
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE – U.S. AIR FORCE
2. METAUREUS - XR, AI & 3D Systems Studio (2022-Present)
Metaureus was established as a studio integrating extended reality, artificial intelligence, and 3D simulation technologies
within a unified creative and technical environment.It represented an applied extension of the developmental architecture explored in earlier conceptual projects.
While independent of the METASIMZ/DoD proposal, METAUREUS later served as the organizational platform
through which the METASIMZ simulation concept was formally conceived.As a studio, it reflected the practical integration of immersive media and adaptive systems required to move from
theoretical design toward operational experimentation.
▶ More details on Page 3
META 3D - 3D RENDERING & ANIMATIONS
META 360° - DYNAMIC & INTERACTIVE PANORAMA
META IMMERSION - GAMING UX
3. CODE S.U.S. - Human Systems & Environmental Strategy Game Prototype (2010)
Code S.U.S. was an early attempt to translate developmental psychology and integral systems theory into interactive game mechanics
within an environmental sustainability context.The concept explored how psychological growth models could inform player progression, ethical decision-making, and multi-level
environmental strategy.The project was presented as an The project was presented as an awarded poster at the Integral Theory Conference (ITC, 2010).Advisors and collaborators included figures from the Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University, the Electronic Arts
Game Innovation Lab at USC, and Georgia Tech University - alongside senior researchers and thought leaders from the Integral community,
including Ken Wilber, philosopher, best-selling author of over 30 books, and founder of Integral Theory - and associated developmental scholars.Conceptual development of the framework also included collaboration with Russel DeMaria, a veteran game designer and author of over 60 books
on video game design and interactive media.The initiative remained at the exploratory framework stage and was not developed into a finished prototype - further development entered a period
of hibernation during the prototype and investor preparation phase.The initiative remained at the exploratory framework stage and was not
developed into a finished prototype.
▶ More details on Page 3
View Systems-Based Sustainability Game Prototype-CODE S.U.S
ITC 2010-Honorable Mention
3. "Bar Karma” TV Series - Participatory Television Experiment (Current TV, 2011)
Award-Winning Story Contributor to the Crowdsourced Story Development Process
Early participatory television initiative created by renowned game designer Will Wright (SimCity, The Sims, Spore),
exploring crowdsourced storytelling through interactive media platforms.
Media coverage and industry documentation include:
Feature coverage of the Bar Karma crowdsourced storytelling experiment.
Industry release confirming Episode 3 submitted by Moses Silbiger.
Coverage of Will Wright’s expansion into participatory television through Bar Karma on Current TV.
▶ More details on Page 3
VIEW AWARD-WINNING CROWDSOURCED CONCEPT – BAR KARMA - CURRENT TV
Austin Chronicle feature article-Episode 3:An Open Mind
Synthesis of Applied Experiments
Each of these four applied initiatives reinforced the same principle: the architecture was conceptually viable, but technological,
institutional, or contextual realities limited full execution.
The architecture was ahead of its time.
The enabling technologies were not yet mature, and the necessary conditions had not yet converged.
Today, they have.
AI makes that convergence operational.
Continuity
The core architecture has remained consistent.
What has changed is the surrounding technological ecosystem.
Adaptive AI systems, behavioral modeling, machine learning, real-time feedback loops,
and XR platforms now make technically feasible what was previously conceptual.
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