2024 call for Schwartz Reisman faculty and graduate fellowships now open
The Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society has launched its call for 2024 faculty and graduate fellowships, open to researchers at the University of Toronto whose work explores the social impacts of new technologies.
Rethinking AI regulation: CIFAR policy brief explores paths forward for regulating in a new world
What’s missing from current efforts to regulate artificial intelligence? SRI researchers author a new CIFAR AI Insights Policy Brief on bracing for large-scale economic, social, and legal change—and how policymakers can adapt governance infrastructure to an economy transformed by AI.
Redefining AI governance: A global push for safer technology
SRI policy researchers David Baldridge and Jamie Amarat Sandhu trace the landscape of recent global AI safety initiatives—from Bletchley to Hiroshima and beyond—to see how governments and public policy experts are envisioning new ways of governing AI as rapid advancements in the technology continue to present challenges to policymakers.
Kelly Lyons appointed Schwartz Reisman Institute interim director; Gillian Hadfield to remain as chair
Kelly Lyons takes on the role of interim director at the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society. Lyons’ extensive expertise in knowledge mobilization will serve to harness and propel the vast diversity of research across disciplines at SRI. The Institute’s inaugural director, Gillian Hadfield, will retain her position as Schwartz Reisman Chair in Technology and Society.
SRI faculty fellows advance interdisciplinary research on the social impacts of AI
The Schwartz Reisman Institute’s 2021–23 faculty fellows explored the social implications of new technologies, foregrounding the significance of ethics, equity, and human-centred values. Learn more about their research projects and how to apply for Schwartz Reisman fellowships.
Geoffrey Hinton fields questions from scholars, students during academic talk on responsible AI
U of T University Professor emeritus and “godfather of AI” Geoffrey Hinton delivered a lecture at Convocation Hall discussing whether large language models understand what they are doing and the existential risks posed by unfettered development of the technology he helped create.
To guarantee our rights, Canada’s privacy legislation must protect our biometric data
Amidst today’s broad social impacts of data, we must pay specific attention to the risks posed by facial recognition technology, writes Daniel Konikoff, who argues that Bill C-27’s failure to classify biometric data as sensitive suggests that the bill has an unstable grasp on our tricky technological present.
Gillian Hadfield named one of seven AI2050 senior fellows by Schmidt Futures
Seven new senior fellows, including SRI Director Gillian Hadfield, have been selected by Schmidt Futures to solve hard problems in artificial intelligence through multidisciplinary research, with up to USD $7 million in support.
Unlocking AI’s insights: SRI's “Artificial Intelligence is Here" course goes public
What do we need to do to ensure that artificial intelligence is built for public benefit? A recent course developed by the Schwartz Reisman Institute explains what AI is, where it’s headed, and what the public needs to know about it.
We, the Data: Wendy H. Wong on human rights in the age of datafication
In We, The Data, Wendy H. Wong argues that we need to reboot human rights to match the pressures of our data-intensive world. Exploring surveillance, facial recognition technologies, data rights, and more, Wong makes a compelling case for why the public needs to engage Big Tech as data stakeholders.
Luke Stark appointed inaugural SRI Scholar-in-Residence
Luke Stark, an assistant professor at Western University, has been appointed as the inaugural Schwartz Reisman Scholar-in-Residence. Stark’s work interrogates the historical, social, and ethical impacts of computing and artificial intelligence technologies, particularly those mediating social and emotional expression.
Uncovering gaps in Canada’s Voluntary Code of Conduct for generative AI
Want to learn more about Canada’s Voluntary Code of Conduct on the Responsible Development and Management of Advanced Generative AI Systems? SRI Policy Researchers David Baldridge and Jamie Sandhu comment on the Code’s characteristics and shortcomings after its recent release following a summer of significant developments concerning generative AI.