![SRI Seminar Series: Yejin Choi,“The enigma of LLMs: On creativity, pluralism, and paradoxes”](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1734359015246-LE5LHPIOG5RHS3HBSDAL/2025_Seminar_Yejin_Choi_Wachter_banner_1920x1080.jpg)
SRI Seminar Series: Yejin Choi,“The enigma of LLMs: On creativity, pluralism, and paradoxes”
Join Yejin Choi, incoming professor in the Department of Computer Science at Stanford University, for an engaging presentation on the design of commonsense and moral reasoning in AI systems.
![SRI Seminar Series: Beth Coleman, “Building trust in AI: A multi-disciplinary approach to a key paradigm” ](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1734123445038-65BL31RHAXMOPJUO51RE/2025_Seminar_Beth_Coleman_Dignum_banner_1920x1080.jpg)
SRI Seminar Series: Beth Coleman, “Building trust in AI: A multi-disciplinary approach to a key paradigm”
Join SRI Research Lead Beth Coleman for a talk exploring the pivotal role of trust in human interactions with machine learning and AI technologies.
![SRI Seminar Series: Jeff Clune, “Open-ended and AI-generating algorithms in the era of foundation models”](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1734124288592-94D79ZL4B3361ZUHC301/2025_Seminar_Catherine_Jeff_Clune_banner_1920x1080.jpg)
SRI Seminar Series: Jeff Clune, “Open-ended and AI-generating algorithms in the era of foundation models”
How can foundation models drive open-ended innovation in AI? Join Jeff Clune, University of British Columbia professor and senior research advisor at DeepMind, to explore how cutting-edge algorithms are shaping the future of AI creativity and discovery.
![SRI Seminar Series: Joshua August Skorburg, “Decisions, decisions, decisions: A value-based account of the attention economy”](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1734357944430-YQOT98C5ADAQERIU7I8L/2025_Seminar_Catherine_Joshua_August_Skorburg_banner_1920x1080.jpg)
SRI Seminar Series: Joshua August Skorburg, “Decisions, decisions, decisions: A value-based account of the attention economy”
What really drives our attention in the digital age—addiction and compulsion, or our own representations of value? Join the University of Guelph’s Joshua August Skorburg for a talk exploring a new way of understanding the attention economy, showing how digital distractions influence our choices and sense of control.
![SRI Seminar Series: Sandra Wachter, “Do large language models have a legal duty to tell the truth?”](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1734358431431-8J5QW07JFDZ5IKRVWLUQ/2025_Seminar_Catherine_Sandra_Wachter_banner_1920x1080.jpg)
SRI Seminar Series: Sandra Wachter, “Do large language models have a legal duty to tell the truth?”
What is the legal and societal cost of “careless speech” in large language models? Join Sandra Wachter, professor of technology and regulation at the University of Oxford, for an exploration of how AI mistruths threaten knowledge systems and social trust, and how legal frameworks can address these emerging risks.
![Absolutely Interdisciplinary 2025](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/03c59872-ce17-4eac-a4c4-53cecf6f10ee/Absolutely-Interdisciplinary-2025-main-TGB-1920x1080-alt.png)
Absolutely Interdisciplinary 2025
The Schwartz Reisman Institute’s annual academic conference Absolutely Interdisciplinary will explore interdisciplinary approaches to AI governance, risk and safety on May 29, 2025, in person at U of T’s Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus.
![SRI Seminar Series: Catherine Stinson, “Artificial intelligence benchmarks and degenerating research”](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1734464993995-2Y99ARB6GUE4MWCEMQRY/2025_Seminar_Catherine_Stinson_Dignum_banner_1920x1080.jpg)
SRI Seminar Series: Catherine Stinson, “Artificial intelligence benchmarks and degenerating research”
Join Catherine Stinson, Queen’s National Scholar in the Philosophical Implications of AI, for a special in-person seminar on the role of benchmark datasets in AI research, co-presented by the Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology.
![Special event: Building Trust in AI: A Multifaceted Approach](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1738094842843-XGZB0HH4AHP1441PY7S9/AI-Action-Summit-2025-Image-limited-text-pink+v3.jpg)
Special event: Building Trust in AI: A Multifaceted Approach
Understanding how trust is built between groups of people, institutions and technologies is essential for thinking about how AI systems can be built to reliably address human needs while mitigating risks. This roundtable convened by the Schwartz Reisman Institute as part of the 2025 AI Action Summit in Paris will explore the contextual and institutional dimensions of trust in AI systems.
![SRI Seminar Series: Pamela Samuelson, “Will copyright derail generative AI technologies?”](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1734358763119-X39XXBR1BUS1PUR1H9GD/2025_Seminar_Catherine_Pamela_Samuelson_banner_1920x1080.jpg)
SRI Seminar Series: Pamela Samuelson, “Will copyright derail generative AI technologies?”
Join Pamela Samuelson, distinguished professor of law at UC Berkeley and co-director of the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology, for a talk on the copyright challenges and legal implications posed by generative AI technologies.
![SRI Seminar Series: Rahul G. Krishnan, “From associational to causal predictions with deep learning”](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1733331528766-7VOM88VV3UDLLOITJW3X/2025_Seminar_Series_Rahul_G_Krishnan_banner_1920x1080.jpg)
SRI Seminar Series: Rahul G. Krishnan, “From associational to causal predictions with deep learning”
How is machine learning transforming healthcare? Join Rahul G. Krishnan, University of Toronto professor and Canada Research Chair in Computational Medicine, to discover how AI innovations are revolutionizing diagnostics, treatment, and personalized care.
![SRI Seminar Series: Virginia Dignum, “Beyond the AI hype: Balancing innovation and social responsibility”](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1733331448697-OFZ28ED68TEGRGGKNNTF/2025_Seminar_Series_Virginia_Dignum_banner_1920x1080.jpg)
SRI Seminar Series: Virginia Dignum, “Beyond the AI hype: Balancing innovation and social responsibility”
How can we build AI systems that reflect human values and promote social good? Join Virginia Dignum, professor of computer science at Umeå University, for a discussion on the ethical design and governance of artificial intelligence technologies.
![SRI Seminar Series: Christopher Summerfield, “The Habermas Machine: Using AI to help people find common ground”](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1733330552306-QZTKHBWQ0HXOIDN3PNA1/2025_Seminar_Series_Chris_Summerfield_banner_1920x1080.jpg)
SRI Seminar Series: Christopher Summerfield, “The Habermas Machine: Using AI to help people find common ground”
Can AI systems act as an mediator to help groups with differing views find consensus? Join Christopher Summerfield, professor of cognitive neuroscience at the University of Oxford, to explore how AI systems shed light on human decision-making.
![SRI Seminar Series: Daniel E. Ho, “Large legal fictions: Assessing the reliability of AI in legal research”](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1724357224996-YWU0MXVFAZA9BBGV4H7I/Seminar-Series-daniel-e-ho-centred-headshot-2024_1920x1080.jpg)
SRI Seminar Series: Daniel E. Ho, “Large legal fictions: Assessing the reliability of AI in legal research”
What emerging risk frameworks and policy considerations for the use of advanced technologies like AI in high-stakes contexts are on the horizon? Join Stanford’s Daniel E. Ho to learn about assessing the reliability of AI in legal research.
![SRI Seminar Series: Henry Shevlin, “All too human? Identifying and mitigating ethical risks of Social AI”](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1724356807276-C6D51XRVWB1J4JMHCVMQ/Seminar-Series-henry-shevlin-centred-headshot-2024_1920x1080.jpg)
SRI Seminar Series: Henry Shevlin, “All too human? Identifying and mitigating ethical risks of Social AI”
What ethical risks might occur when AI systems are used for human social needs like romance, companionship, or entertainment? Join the University of Cambridge’s Henry Shevlin for an exploration of the potential benefits and harms of social AI.
![SRI Seminar Series: Aziz Huq, “The geopolitics of digital regulation”](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1724356412526-1XOOA99PTBLVLMW0JUBK/Seminar-Series-aziz-huq-centred-headshot-2024_1920x1080.jpg)
SRI Seminar Series: Aziz Huq, “The geopolitics of digital regulation”
How is the regulation of digital technologies influenced by geopolitical competition? Join the University of Chicago’s Aziz Huq for a talk on the future of the governance of technology.
![SRI Seminar Series: Rediet Abebe, “When does resource allocation require prediction?”](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1724356139263-22NVRH2MMHGZS4P40DAB/Seminar-Series-rediet-abebe-centred-headshot-2024_1920x1080.jpg)
SRI Seminar Series: Rediet Abebe, “When does resource allocation require prediction?”
How can algorithms contribute to or reduce inequality? Join Rediet Abebe to explore how mathematics and computation can support more equitable outcomes in the public sphere.
![SRI Seminar Series: Laura Rosella, “From development to deployment: Can we improve the health of populations with AI?”](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1724355977864-H9AF8ROH9QJ6SS8KPD1F/Seminar-Series-laura-rosella-centred-headshot-2024_1920x1080.jpg)
SRI Seminar Series: Laura Rosella, “From development to deployment: Can we improve the health of populations with AI?”
How can AI systems better support public health planning and policy? Join SRI Faculty Affiliate Laura Rosella for insights on how AI and data are transforming public health.
![SRI Seminar Series: Roger Grosse, “On the origin of rogue AI”](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1724355701786-FOG4AIBZHICMOO8G8ZI3/Seminar-Series-roger-grosse-centred-headshot-2024_1920x1080.jpg)
SRI Seminar Series: Roger Grosse, “On the origin of rogue AI”
Can LLMs or agents built on top of them spontaneously “go rogue"? Join SRI Chair Roger Grosse for a special in-person edition of the SRI Seminar Series.
![SRI Seminar Series: Bree McEwan, “Generating the metaverse: Musings on agents, authenticity, and artificial intelligence in virtual reality”](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1724355407398-0HEV102AVR4BU6NWA4XL/Seminar-Series-bree-mcewan-centred-headshot-2024_1920x1080.jpg)
SRI Seminar Series: Bree McEwan, “Generating the metaverse: Musings on agents, authenticity, and artificial intelligence in virtual reality”
How are online networks, VR, and generative AI transforming the human experience? Join SRI Faculty Affiliate Bree McEwan to explore how technology is impacting the ways we communicate today.
![Responsible LLM-human collaboration: Hackathon and symposium](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1725996638644-I0CSQV9SI74PK9OBFDMW/DSI-Hackathon-poster.jpg)
Responsible LLM-human collaboration: Hackathon and symposium
On Oct. 4, 2024, U of T students are invited to design, develop, and implement cutting-edge solutions using state-of-the-art models to engage deeply with the latest advancements in AI and contribute to shaping a future where technology is both powerful and responsible.
On Oct. 5, 2024, anyone is welcome to attend a day-long symposium of research presentations and discussions about the development, applications, and ethical considerations of LLMs. This day concludes with a showcase of the work conducted during the previous day's hackathon.
![SRI Seminar Series: Cynthia Dwork, “Prediction, fairness, and... complexity theory?”](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1724355048807-OLRPACIYOHD7OEYAA7EN/Seminar-Series-web-centred-headshotcynthia-dwork-2024_1920x1080.jpg)
SRI Seminar Series: Cynthia Dwork, “Prediction, fairness, and... complexity theory?”
How can we build technical systems that are secure and trustworthy? Join renowned computer scientist Cynthia Dwork of Harvard University for a talk on her latest research.
![SRI Seminar Series: Adam Tauman Kalai, “When calibration goes awry: Hallucination in language models”](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1727191196263-EA6XZLRXPYEO3OWVWXRQ/Seminar-Series-centred-kalai-adam-tauman-2024_1920x1080.jpg)
SRI Seminar Series: Adam Tauman Kalai, “When calibration goes awry: Hallucination in language models”
Why do large language models “hallucinate” facts and what can be done to mitigate this phenomenon? Join OpenAI’s Adam Tauman Kalai to learn more about new approaches towards AI alignment and safety.
![SRI Seminar Series: Terry Flew, “Trust and communication: The question of mediated trust”](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1724354342584-N79CE1FRZ6BJD61DFWDD/Seminar-Series-web-flew-terry-2024_1920x1080.jpg)
SRI Seminar Series: Terry Flew, “Trust and communication: The question of mediated trust”
How can we better understand the role of public trust in digital media? Join the University of Sydney’s Terry Flew to explore new approaches towards questions of mediated trust.
![Special event: Technophilosophy September Soiree: Can we ensure AI is safe?](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1725559547670-WJAQ66UAZA0QRKL051FR/technophilosophy-karina-vold-2024-vector-logo.jpg)
Special event: Technophilosophy September Soiree: Can we ensure AI is safe?
Join a panel of experts to explore pressing questions of safety in this unprecedented moment of proliferating and advancing AI technologies. The 2024 September Soiree in Technophilosophy promises to be a unique opportunity to expand your horizons and be part of a stimulating event that aims to provoke deep and meaningful engagement with our future with AI.
![Building an Embedded Ethics Education Initiative](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1716557649525-8FAAA1TY1VPDQX2GSYIP/E3I-2024-Main-Image-v4.png)
Building an Embedded Ethics Education Initiative
Join E3I faculty leads Sheila McIlraith, Diane Horton, David Liu, and Steven Coyne on May 28, 2024, for a special free online event exploring the creation and deployment of the University of Toronto Embedded Ethics Education Initiative.
![The 2024 Ian P. Sharp Lecture: Beth Simone Noveck, “From ballots to bots: AI’s transformative role in democratic societies”](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1711988001611-YG80NRAH4LYJM3PGON8F/SRI_Beth_Novak_From_Ballots_to_Bots-1920.png)
The 2024 Ian P. Sharp Lecture: Beth Simone Noveck, “From ballots to bots: AI’s transformative role in democratic societies”
The Ian P. Sharp Lectureship was established at the Faculty of Information Studies at the University of Toronto in 1989. It is intended to bring internationally renowned individuals to the campus to explore the transformative effects of information practice. The lectures, which are open to the profession and members of the public, are delivered every three to four years by a distinguished figure in information science and related fields.
![Absolutely Interdisciplinary 2024](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1712598690486-1ERWHU9OZ7O17UY13GRH/AI_2023_poster_v2.png)
Absolutely Interdisciplinary 2024
SRI’s annual academic conference takes place May 6-8, 2024. Connecting technical researchers, social scientists, and humanists, Absolutely Interdisciplinary fosters new ways of thinking about the challenges presented by artificial intelligence and other powerful data-driven technologies to build a future that promotes human well-being—for everyone.
![SRI Graduate Workshop: Interdisciplinary Dialogues on AI](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1710442408274-K6X8QSE1E0JVJF0NS3NN/AI_2024_grad_work_poster_v2.png)
SRI Graduate Workshop: Interdisciplinary Dialogues on AI
The Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society’s 2023–24 cohort of graduate fellows present “Interdisciplinary Dialogues on AI,” a special one-day workshop that will explore innovative solutions for tough problems at the intersection of technology and society.
![Special event: Platforms and the right to information](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1713555899239-U845FI72MZGBZIGZU34O/RSMSRI+banner+final+sm.png)
Special event: Platforms and the right to information
What kinds of claims can we make to access platform data? How can we ensure that the digital world can be independently knowable and interrogated and that this ability is equitably distributed? How do these questions fit within a broader set of concerns regarding the social and democratic value of data, data colonialism, data justice, and epistemic justice? This hybrid workshop brings together a diverse and interdisciplinary group of scholars and practitioners to discuss these and related questions.
![SRI Seminar Series: Luciano Floridi, “What is the impact of AI on democracy?”](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1707239459795-0DDMP4DDWL0Y9L6M0MA6/SRI_Seminar_240403_Floridi_web_1920x1080.png)
SRI Seminar Series: Luciano Floridi, “What is the impact of AI on democracy?”
Luciano Floridi is the founding director of the Digital Ethics Center at Yale University, where he is also a professor in the Cognitive Science Program. World-renowned as one of the most authoritative voices of contemporary philosophy, Floridi is a founding figure within the philosophy of information and one of the major interpreters of the digital revolution. He is deeply engaged with policy initiatives on the socio-ethical value and implications of digital technologies and collaborates closely on these topics with many governments and companies worldwide.
![Special event: Cryptography and security: 30 years of evolving knowledge and technology](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1709576613470-FDRA5OV1IPQD1S0OSLGV/SRI_David+Lie_1920x1080_v2.png)
Special event: Cryptography and security: 30 years of evolving knowledge and technology
The internet essentially began 30 years ago, with the 1994 release of Netscape Navigator. Cryptography and security then transitioned from the fringes of university research and a niche industry sector to major subject areas and technologies underpinning essential components of modern society.
SRI Research Lead David Lie welcomes Paul Van Oorschot, professor of computer science at Carleton University, for a talk taking us through selected highlights along this journey.
![SRI Seminar Series: Ann Copestake, “LLMs and the Information Layer"](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1701892941786-1PGVIAH632QAMPQ71RNQ/SRI_Seminar_240327_Ann+Copestake_web_1920x1080.png)
SRI Seminar Series: Ann Copestake, “LLMs and the Information Layer"
Ann Copestake is a professor of computational linguistics at the Department of Computer Science and Technology at the University of Cambridge. Her research involves developing computer models of human languages, including explores the development of semantic models compatible with broad-coverage computational processing, and establishing the performance of deep learning systems according to linguistic criteria.
![SRI Seminar Series: Iason Gabriel, “The ethics of advanced AI assistants”](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1701892808730-4HBBEJYZIMRQTDVAPK6G/SRI_Seminar_240320_Iason+Gabriel_web_1920x1080.png)
SRI Seminar Series: Iason Gabriel, “The ethics of advanced AI assistants”
Iason Gabriel is a staff research scientist at Google DeepMind whose work focuses on the ethics of artificial intelligence, including questions about AI value alignment, distributive justice, language ethics and human rights. Gabriel has contributed to several projects that promote responsible innovation in AI, including the creation of the ethics review process at NeurIPS.
![Special event: Ted Chiang, “Thoughts on being a cyborg”](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1710343399244-U95NL0QCNAOHX3ELRJNY/SRI_Ted+Chiang_1920x1080_wDept_of_English_B.png)
Special event: Ted Chiang, “Thoughts on being a cyborg”
To better understand how new information technologies might shape the way we think, let's think about how the oldest ones have made themselves part of us. Join acclaimed author Ted Chiang and SRI Faculty Fellow Avery Slater (Department of English, University of Toronto) for a talk on the impacts of technologies on the human experience.
![SRI Seminar Series: Marlène Koffi, “Unlocking innovation: The use of natural language processing to uncover scientific bias”](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1701892388705-9T0TMHFWZNE0MMNO3H9Z/SRI_Seminar_+20240313_Marl%C3%A8ne+Koffi_web_1920x1080.png)
SRI Seminar Series: Marlène Koffi, “Unlocking innovation: The use of natural language processing to uncover scientific bias”
Marlène Koffi is an assistant professor in economics at the University of Toronto, and a faculty affiliate at the National Bureau of Economics Research and the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society. Koffi’s research interests are in the economics of innovation and science, and she is also interested in applying deep learning and artificial intelligence techniques for economics studies and public policies.
![SRI Seminar Series: Rohan Alexander, “Improving reproducibility in quantitative social sciences: A simulation-based workflow enhanced with large language models”](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ef0b24bc96ec4739e7275d3/1708964298538-67EZB9LPW6FLKAAGE0EN/SRI_Seminar_240306_Alexander_web_1920x1080.png)
SRI Seminar Series: Rohan Alexander, “Improving reproducibility in quantitative social sciences: A simulation-based workflow enhanced with large language models”
Rohan Alexander is an assistant professor at the University of Toronto, jointly appointed in the Faculty of Information and the Department of Statistical Sciences, assistant director of CANSSI Ontario, a faculty affiliate at the Schwartz Reisman Institute, and a co-lead of the Data Sciences Institute’s Thematic Program in Reproducibility. Alexander’s research investigates how to develop workflows that improve the trustworthiness of data science.