The Schwartz Reisman Institute’s annual academic conference will take place May 6–8, 2024, with select sessions taking place in the newly-completed Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus located in the heart of Toronto’s Discovery District. Speakers include: Peter Railton, Harper Reed, Huili Chen, Ray Perrault, Gillian Hadfield, and more.

The Schwartz Reisman Institute is pleased to announce the addition of 10 new faculty affiliates to its research community. Hailing from across the University of Toronto, the new cohort of faculty affiliates brings an array of expertise from diverse fields including sociology, Indigenous studies, philosophy, and computer science, enriching the scope of research conducted by SRI’s vibrant community.

The SRI Seminar Series returns for 2024 with 12 exciting presentations exploring how data-driven technologies are changing our world, including talks on economics, law, political science, privacy, behavioural science, linguistics, and the ethics of AI. Registration for all sessions is now open.

Do we trust machine learning systems, and if so why? How can ML systems earn and maintain our trust? These and related questions will be explored by an interdisciplinary working group convened by Beth Coleman now accepting applications from PhD and postdoctoral researchers.

Like an ouroboros—or snake eating its own tail—future AI models trained on the internet, where AI-generated content is expected to become ubiquitous, could end up devouring the problematic work of their predecessors.

In collaboration with Deloitte, the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society presented a distinguished speaker series highlighting contributions from six innovative female researchers working at the forefront of artificial intelligence across a wide range of specializations.

The Schwartz Reisman Institute is proud to announce its 2023 cohort of fellowship recipients, welcoming four new faculty fellows and sixteen new graduate fellows from across the University of Toronto. From computer science, medical biophysics, and applied engineering to architecture, psychology, and philosophy, Schwartz Reisman fellowships support interdisciplinary research that builds new approaches to examine the relations between technology and society.

In a special event hosted by SRI Research Lead Ashton Anderson, Spotify’s Senior Director of Research Mounia Lalmas shared insights into how the platform’s recommender systems craft personalized listening experiences.

Can government regulation benefit cybersecurity in the private sector? What requirements are needed to better assess threats and reduce vulnerability for Canadians? To answer these questions, SRI Research Lead David Lie led a panel discussion on the future of cybersecurity regulation.

The SRI Seminar Series presents cutting-edge research on the social impacts of artificial intelligence and data-driven technologies, providing a unique opportunity to learn from leading experts in a wide range of fields and engage in discussions with the Schwartz Reisman Institute’s interdisciplinary community. Registration for all Winter 2023 sessions is now open.

How can computing researchers better consider the ethical and societal impacts of their work? In a recent SRI Seminar, Harvard professor Barbara Grosz outlined the key findings of a major new report on responsible computing research, which provides practical recommendations for new methodologies and approaches.

SRI Graduate Fellow Reid McIlroy-Young’s new research explores the concept of “mimetic models”: algorithms designed to simulate the behaviour of an individual in new situations. In a new paper, McIlroy-Young reflects on the ethical implications of such models, in what scenarios they might be used, and directions for future research.