How can technology, ethics, and collaboration drive a better future? What steps are required to ensure that the technical systems we design reflect our values as a society?
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. This event is part of SRI’s annual conference, Absolutely Interdisciplinary, which takes place May 6-8, 2024. For more information, visit the conference website.
Across four thought-provoking sessions at the graduate workshop, a diverse range of scholars and practitioners will discuss exciting new research directions and address some of the most pivotal issues shaping our world today.
In the morning, two workshop sessions will examine the transformative potential of AI in healthcare delivery and the ethical dimensions of AI safety, navigating the complexities, challenges, and interdisciplinary opportunities that lie ahead for aligning AI systems with human values, real-world applications, and mitigating potential harms.
In the afternoon, we’ll engage in discussions surrounding online safety and content moderation, as our first session explores interventions to combat misinformation, polarization, and online violence in today's digital landscape. The following session will address the urgent need for sustainable urban development amidst climate change, and envision resilient cities through the lenses of technology and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Don't miss this unique opportunity to learn from an impressive lineup of leading thinkers who are shaping the future of research on technology’s social impacts and helping to define how powerful new tools like AI can benefit the world.
While in-person attendance at “Interdisciplinary Dialogues on AI” is by invitation only, registration for online participation is free and open to the public. We hope you’ll join us!
SRI’s 2024 Graduate Workshop is coordinated by: Michael Colacci, Felix Menze, Jo-Ann Osei-Twum (Innovating care); Michael Beauvais, Jamie Duncan, Kelly McConvey, Silviu Pitis, Michael Zhang (Harming virtuously); Alice Huang, Blake Lee-Whiting, Ramaravind Kommiya Mothilal, Emily Schwartzman (Online safety); Taneea S. Agrawaal, Hiu-Fung Chung, Wenxi Liao, Han Qiao (Changing climate).
Event details
Date and time: Monday, May 6, 2024, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET
Venue: Online (Zoom link provided to registrants) and in person (by invitation only; (Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus, University of Toronto, W240, 2nd Floor, 108 College St., Toronto)
Schedule:
8:30 AM – 9:00 AM | Registration & breakfast
9:00 AM – 9:10 AM | Opening remarks
9:10 AM – 10:40 AM | Innovating care: An interdisciplinary dialogue on AI in healthcare
Speakers: Dr. Mamatha Bhat, Daniel Buchman, Muhammad Mamdani, Luke Stark (moderator)
In this session, speakers will present real-world examples to discuss the assumptions underpinning the use of artificial intelligence (AI) systems in healthcare, raise key considerations from their disciplinary perspectives for addressing issues in healthcare delivery, and explore current challenges and tensions within the field of AI and health. Attendees will gain a better understanding of the interdisciplinary challenges, tensions, and potential opportunities for the practical use of AI technologies in healthcare.
10:40 AM – 11:00 AM | Break
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM | Harming virtuously: Value alignment for harmful AI
Speakers: Branka Marijan, Leah West, Nisarg Shah
The interdisciplinary fields of AI safety and AI ethics emphasize the need to create autonomous systems that align with human values. These discussions often assume that AI systems should “do no harm” to humans. But lethal AI systems used for autonomous firearms and drones are already being used to harm people. In this session, we will explore how researchers and practitioners interested in the problem of AI alignment can address the reality of purposely harmful AI systems.
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Lunch
1:30 PM – 3:00 PM | What is the future of online safety and content moderation?
Speakers: Ishtiaque Ahmed, Bree McEwan, Regina Rini
Online discussions have, in recent years, become one of the main ways in which individuals access information and exchange opinions. Traditional barriers to communication have largely disappeared, and it is increasingly difficult to verify the sources and reliability of online information. In light of problems related to polarization, misinformation, online violence, and deepfakes, various interventions have been proposed. This session will facilitate a discussion about important questions related to these interventions.
3:00 PM – 3:20 PM | Break
3:20 PM – 4:50 PM | Changing climate: The potential and limits of technology for sustainable cities
Speakers: Maaz Gardezi, Vanessa Gray, M. Reza Najafi
The looming threat of climate change has heightened concerns regarding how complex urban systems—shaped by local, national, and transnational dynamics—address environmental challenges. Environmental data plays a pivotal role in visualizing the “climate problems,” yet its production, collection, and use are essentially contested. To understand the potential and politics of environmental data, adopting an interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral approach is crucial. Centered on the Greater Toronto Area, this session invites scholars interested in the use of data and AI for tackling urgent global problems to reimagine the intersection of climate change, data-driven technology, and socio-ecological justice, envisioning the potential for building resilient cities.
4:50 PM – 5:00 PM | Closing remarks
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Reception
Speakers
Ishtiaque Ahmed, Department of Computer Science, Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society (University of Toronto)
Dr. Mamatha Bhat, University Health Network (UHN); Department of Medicine (University of Toronto)
Daniel Buchman, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; Dalla Lana School of Public Health (University of Toronto)
Maaz Gardezi, Department of Sociology (Virginia Tech)
Muhammad Mamdani, Unity Health Toronto; Temerty Faculty of Medicine Centre for Artificial Intelligence Education and Research in Medicine (University of Toronto)
Branka Marijan, Project Ploughshares, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy (University of Toronto)
Bree McEwan, Institute for Communication, Culture, Information and Technology, Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society (University of Toronto)
M. Reza Najafi, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (Western University)
Regina Rini, Department of Philosophy (York University)
Nisarg Shah, Department of Computer Science, Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society (University of Toronto)
Leah West, Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (Carleton University)
About the Schwartz Reisman Institute
Located at the University of Toronto, the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society’s mission is to deepen our knowledge of technologies, societies, and what it means to be human by integrating research across traditional boundaries and building human-centred solutions that really make a difference. The integrative research we conduct rethinks technology’s role in society, the contemporary needs of human communities, and the systems that govern them. We’re investigating how best to align technology with human values and deploy it accordingly. The human-centred solutions we build are actionable and practical, highlighting the potential of emerging technologies to serve the public good while protecting citizens and societies from their misuse. We want to make sure powerful technologies truly make the world a better place—for everyone.