American artificial intelligence theorist and cognitive scientist (March 12, 1946 to January 29, 2023) who held faculty positions at Yale, Northwestern, and Carnegie Mellon. Schank pioneered conceptual dependency theory and case-based reasoning, foundational frameworks in early AI research. He attended an AI symposium organized by Jeffrey Epstein on or near Little St.
James island in the U.S. Virgin Islands in the early 2000s, approximately six years before Epstein's 2008 conviction. The gathering included prominent AI researchers Marvin Minsky, Doug Lenat, and Push Singh and covered topics including simulated reasoning and causal frameworks.
Schank was a Manhattan neighbor of Epstein and is referenced in multiple EFTA documents. He died in January 2023.