SRI’s annual conference, Absolutely Interdisciplinary, returns in May of 2024
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. Learn more.
Examining the current state of artificial intelligence (AI) and its social implications necessitates reaching across disciplinary boundaries. The Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society’s (SRI) annual conference, Absolutely Interdisciplinary, convenes exactly the kind of crucial multidisciplinary conversations needed to build new fields of research and tackle the most urgent questions of our time.
This year, the main Absolutely Interdisciplinary conference takes place exclusively in person on May 7 and 8, 2024. The conference will be preceded by the Absolutely Interdisciplinary graduate workshop on May 6, 2024, which will be available as an online-only broadcast. Finally, the conference will end with the Ian P. Sharp Lecture featuring invited speaker Beth Simone Noveck, an in-person event co-hosted by SRI and the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto.
For the first time, in-person conference sessions will be held in the newly-completed Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus located in the heart of Toronto’s Discovery District. The 250,000 square foot space evokes the ethos of the conference—as architect Michael Manfredi of Weiss/Manfredi suggests, the venue will “allow folks in different silos to start to find intersections and pathways to work together.”
As in past years, all three days of the conference will pair scholars from different disciplines to address a common question and facilitate discussion.
“We’re very excited to welcome our speakers and attendees into a brand new state-of-the-art space for two days of boundary-pushing conversations,” says SRI Interim Director Kelly Lyons.
Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus (photo: U of T Spaces & Experiences)
“Past iterations of this conference have produced some of the most innovative insights into the human relationship with technology yet, and this year is sure to do the same. I invite any researchers working at the intersections of technology and society—whether in economics, psychology, computer science, philosophy, medicine, or beyond—to join us at Absolutely Interdisciplinary.”
Session topics covered on May 7 and 8 at Absolutely Interdisciplinary include: natural and artificial agents in shared environments, protecting humanity in the age of AI, insights into public opinion on AI, the future of democracy, and the adoption of AI in industry.
Sessions covered on May 6 at the Absolutely Interdisciplinary graduate workshop include: AI in healthcare, the use of AI systems in weapons and warfare, the future of online safety and content moderation, and use of technology for sustainable cities in a changing climate.
➦ Visit the Absolutely Interdisciplinary website and explore the 2024 schedule.
Confirmed participants at the main conference (May 7-8, 2024) include:
Huili Chen, Berkman Klein Centre for Internet & Society (Harvard University)
I. Glenn Cohen, Harvard Law School, Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology & Bioethics (Harvard University)
Roger Grosse, Department of Computer Science, Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society (University of Toronto)
Gillian Hadfield, Faculty of Law, Rotman School of Management, Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society (University of Toronto)
Peter Loewen, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, Department of Political Science, Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society (University of Toronto)
Kristina McElheran, Rotman School of Management, Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society (University of Toronto)
Ray Perrault, Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI)
Christy Prada, Future Fertility
Peter Railton, Department of Philosophy (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor)
Harper Reed, harperreed.com
Confirmed participants at the graduate workshop (May 6, 2024) include:
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)
Past iterations of Absolutely Interdisciplinary have featured cross-disciplinary sessions, including:
A keynote on AI and cognition by Blaise Agüera y Arcas (2023).
“Testing social cognitive theory with AI,” featuring William Cunningham, Joel Z. Leibo, and Nicolas Papernot (2023).
“Natural and artificial social learning,” featuring Sheila McIlraith, Natasha Jaques, and Jennifer Nagel (2022).
“AI and creativity,” featuring Polly Denny, N. Katherine Hayles, and Avery Slater (2023).
At Absolutely Interdisciplinary, participants will hear from and join thought leaders in discussions about how to best address the pressing issues AI presents to contemporary society. This year, attendees can once again expect provocative panels on how AI development and deployment will transform our world and how society might meet the challenge of ensuring AI and other complex global technologies promote human well-being.
Absolutely Interdisciplinary 2024 promises to be another landmark SRI event. Registration is now open. For any questions, accessibility concerns, or media inquiries, please contact the SRI events team.
