Blacksky
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Blacksky do?
Blacksky makes big data understandable, and connects people to it, with its two biggest products. Prism turns large, scattered bodies of information, like public records, archives or an organization's own documents, into something people can search, explore and understand. AgentOS builds agents people can talk to about that data, on the phone and on the web. KnowGov, Blacksky's civic platform with more than 11.9 million documents on Prism, is the flagship example.
Who runs Blacksky?
Mario Moorhead, founder and principal engineer. He has 25+ years of experience in technology, including executive roles, hands-on AI engineering and 18+ years with federal agencies. Blacksky is one human and a fleet of agents; Maurice is one of them.
What industries do you serve?
- Government: federal agencies such as USDA, NIH, Treasury, DOT, HHS, FDA, OSHA, SEC and USAID, and civic data through KnowGov
- Media, archives and culture: Rap Research Labs, Billboard, Hearst, the National Gallery of Art
- Enterprises: Vanguard, Mastercard, Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Businesses with busy phone lines, nonprofits and community organizations
Do you have security clearances?
Yes. Mario holds active federal security clearances including NIH background check and facility badging. Blacksky is equipped to handle sensitive government projects.
What services do you offer?
- Prism: making big data understandable, by collecting, structuring, enriching and presenting large collections of information
- AgentOS: agents on that data, on the phone (Dewey) and on the web
- The rest of the platform: GoodBrains (models) and Black Cloud (hosting)
- Engineering and platform modernization for agencies and enterprises
- Free education through Blacksky Up
What is GoodBrains?
GoodBrains is Blacksky's model foundation: a choice of language models through one API. An organization picks the model that fits, and its agents use it, without being locked to one provider. See GoodBrains.
What is Maurice?
Maurice is Blacksky's AI. He answers Blacksky's phone line and the chat on blackskymedia.org, any time of day, from Blacksky's own documents. He explains what Blacksky builds, points you to the closest past work, and arranges a follow up with Mario when it fits. He runs on AgentOS, Blacksky's agent platform, with Dewey for the phone and Black Cloud for hosting, which is exactly what Blacksky sells to other organizations. The earlier Maurice SaaS platform has been retired.
Can I call Maurice on the phone?
Yes. Call +1 410 816 9713. Maurice answers in real time, you can interrupt him, and he can take your details for a callback from Mario. Press two for Spanish or three for French.
What is the BSM Patent?
BSM stands for Blacksky Symbiotic Modular Utility Node. It's a provisional patent (App #63/989,974) for a biomimetic self-sustaining civic infrastructure system modeled on a living tree. The system produces energy, provides shelter, communicates, senses its environment, and sustains the ecosystem around it. It's built on NLM (No Language Model) architecture — emergent intelligence from simple agents following minimal rules.
What is NLM?
NLM stands for No Language Model. It's the opposite of LLM (Large Language Model). Instead of one centralized AI brain, NLM uses populations of simple agents following minimal rules to produce emergent intelligence — the same way ant colonies, bird flocks, and slime mold networks operate. Blacksky's swarm robotics (SlimeHive), hardware products, and patent portfolio are all built on NLM principles.
What is SlimeHive?
SlimeHive is Blacksky's open-source swarm robotics platform. It uses biomimetic algorithms inspired by slime mold to coordinate decentralized drone swarms. Physical drones (Raspberry Pi) communicate via BLE and MQTT, with a central Queen Brain managing pheromone grids. SlimeHive also has a web-based simulation version used in the NLM 101 course.
What is Blacksky Up?
Blacksky Up is Blacksky's free community apprenticeship program. It spans four pillars: Media & Content Creation, Technology & Coding, Business & Entrepreneurship, and Arts & Design. It's open to all ages and experience levels. Education is free. No exceptions.
What courses does Blacksky Up offer?
- LLM 101: Language Models & You — 2-week hands-on intro to AI language models. No coding required. Students build a no-code RAG chatbot as their capstone.
- NLM 101: Intelligence Without Words — 2-week course on emergent intelligence, IoT, swarm behavior, and NUDGE theory. Students design behavioral simulations using the SlimeHive playground.
What is BETree?
BETree is a consumer solar-tracking device styled as a bonsai tree. Servo-driven branches follow the sun via light sensors. It charges devices via USB. Two models: Bonsai (desk-sized) and Mini (windowsill). Part of the BSM patent product family.
What is Xyte?
Xyte is a line of privacy-native surveillance cameras. They use patented blur-first, classify-second architecture — on-device ML classifies subjects as man/animal/machine, then immediately destroys raw visual data. No identifiable footage is ever stored or transmitted. Five camera models for different environments.
Can you still do Drupal work?
Yes. Blacksky has extensive Drupal expertise (versions 7 through 11) and 18+ years of enterprise CMS experience. We can still handle Drupal projects when needed, but our primary focus has moved to Python, AI-first architectures, and production AI systems.
What's your tech stack?
- AI/ML: PyTorch, TensorFlow, Hugging Face, Ollama, FLUX, Whisper, Edge TTS
- LLMs: Llama, Claude, GPT-4, Mistral, Together AI
- Vector DBs: Pinecone, ChromaDB, Qdrant, FAISS
- Backend: Python, FastAPI, Django, Node.js
- Frontend: Next.js, React, TypeScript
- Hardware: Raspberry Pi, Arduino, ESP32, BLE, LoRa
- Infrastructure: Railway, Docker, Kubernetes, Redis
- Cloud: Azure, AWS, GCP
How do I get started?
Start with a conversation:
- Email: info@blackskymedia.org
- Talk to Maurice, any time: +1 410 816 9713, or the chat on blackskymedia.org
- Reach Mario directly: 347.495.2309
Where is Blacksky located?
Baltimore, MD. We work with clients nationwide and internationally.