Hi!

My name is Atanas Tonchev and this is my personal website. I use it as a calling card to showcase my work and projects, but also as a blog to share my thoughts and research that has not matured enough for publication. I tend to have a wide array of interests, so you will need to orient yourself in the content. This page gives an overview of myself and my work, but the Research and Software pages contain more detailed information about my relevant experience and focuses, while also pointing you to the more relevant pages of my blog.

My interests lie at the intersection of social research and data science. I am currently developing Polus Research, a consultancy and SaaS platform that allows small and mid-sized businesses to integrate data science and machine learning into their operations.

A Few Notes

AI: Occasionally, I post AI-generated papers. In such cases, I have deemed those a worthwhile read, clearly marked their authorship, and have thoroughly corrected and prefaced them.

Language: The website is mostly in English, but I also post in Bulgarian occasionally. I trust that modern in-built browser translators work well enough, so just use those if you need to read something that is not in a familiar language.

Research

Apart from my development work, I have a strong academic background in social research, with a focus on both qualitative and quantitative methods. I have conducted research on topics such as the impact of religious identity on political polarization, the risks and potentials of generative AI for humanities education, and leveraging graph analysis as a tool for monitoring online disinformation.

I have been following the development of large language models (LLMs) since a few months before ChatGPT was unveiled, and I have been actively researching their interpretability and social impact. I am particularly interested in how these models can be used to improve our understanding of human society as expressed in language.

Software

I have extensive software development experience in building data infrastructures for large multinational sociological surveys, including data cleaning, modelling, and visualization. This development was closely integrated with understanding and automating business processes, which has given me a unique perspective on how to leverage technology to improve efficiency and effectiveness in various domains. The projects also included extensive cross-team and stakeholder communication, which has honed my ability to translate complex technical concepts into actionable insights for non-technical stakeholders.

Business

I have a keen sense of ownership on any project I work on. This means I have always been concerned with the impact my work has on all its stakeholders: users, business owners, and society at large. Another side effect of that is that I have not only sought to create software infrastructure that works, but also ensure I leave behind myself a process that is sustainable and maintainable, so that the business can continue to operate effectively after I am gone.

I have a strong interest in how data science and AI can be used to improve business processes, enhance decision-making, and drive innovation. With Polus Research, I have been particularly interested in how these technologies can be used to create value for small and mid-sized businesses, which often lack the resources to fully leverage the potential of data science.

Last but not least, I keep up with the latest trends and developments in the field, while constantly expanding my knowledge of various fields, including advanced statistics, web development and network architecture, UI design etc.