SRI Seminar Series returns to explore new questions at the intersection of technology and society
The SRI Seminar Series returns for fall 2024 with leading experts across various fields including computer science, communications, law, healthcare, and philosophy. Seminars will explore new questions at the intersection of technology and society through critical issues such as trust, inequality, public policy, and the ethical implications of AI systems.
The Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society (SRI) at the University of Toronto is set to host an engaging series of presentations this fall, bringing together leading scholars and practitioners to discuss critical issues at the intersection of technology and society. For its fall 2024 edition, the SRI Seminar Series will explore topics including trust, inequality, the governance of technology, and the ethical implications of artificial intelligence (AI) systems.
SRI Seminars take place Wednesdays from 12:30 to 2:00 PM Eastern Time, and are free to attend. All sessions take place online, with the exception of one special in-person event per academic semester, which will be simultaneously live-streamed.
➤ Register for upcoming SRI Seminars on Eventbrite.
Kicking off the series on September 18, 2024 is Terry Flew, a professor of digital communication and culture at the University of Sydney. Flew will delve into the complexities of public trust in media communications. Author of 16 books on digital media governance, Flew’s research will explore how contemporary political polarization, disinformation, and digital economies impact trust in news media, digital platforms, and institutions, offering an interdisciplinary framework to better understand these challenges.
On September 25, 2024 Adam Tauman Kalai, a research scientist at OpenAI, will address the phenomenon of “hallucinations” in large language models. Kalai will explain how these seemingly odd occurrences are a natural outcome of the pre-training processes in AI models, and will discuss potential strategies to mitigate their effects.
As the series progresses, Harvard University’s Cynthia Dwork, a renowned computer scientist known for her pioneering contributions to cryptography, algorithmic fairness, and data privacy, will present her latest research on building secure and trustworthy technical systems. Her talk on October 2, 2024 will draw from her extensive work in privacy-preserving data analysis, which has laid the foundation for differential privacy—a critical concept widely deployed in both industry and government.
Joining the lineup from SRI’s research community is recently-appointed Schwartz Reisman Chair in Technology and Society Roger Grosse of U of T’s Department of Computer Science, who will discuss his recent research on developing safe and aligned AI systems at a special in-person seminar at the Rotman School of Management on October 16, 2024. The series will also feature SRI Faculty Affiliates Bree McEwan from the Institute for Communication, Culture, Information and Technology on October 9, 2024, who will explore the transformative effects of online networks, virtual reality, and generative AI on interpersonal communication, and Laura Rosella of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health on October 23, 2024 who will examine how AI technologies can support and improve public health planning and policy.
Rounding out the series, Rediet Abebe of Harvard University will follow on November 6, 2024 with a discussion on the role of algorithms in resource allocation and inequality. Aziz Huq from the University of Chicago will discuss the geopolitical implications of digital regulation on November 13, 2024, while Henry Shevlin from the University of Cambridge’s Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence will explore the ethical risks associated with AI systems designed to meet human social needs on November 20, 2024. The series will conclude on November 27, 2024 with Stanford University’s Daniel E. Ho—director of the Stanford RegLab, a Senior Fellow at Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI), and an advisor to the White House and U.S. Department of Labor on responsible AI—who will discuss emerging regulatory frameworks for AI and the future of data governance.
The SRI Seminar Series offers a unique opportunity for academics, professionals, and the public to engage with leading experts on the pressing technological challenges facing society today. Since 2020, the SRI Seminar Series has presented 91 speakers across 20 disciplines to more than 4,000 total attendees. Among the series’ highlights are recent presentations by Luciano Floridi (Yale), Arvind Narayanan (Princeton), Beth Simone Noveck (Northeastern), Kobbi Nissim (Georgetown), Jon Kleinberg (Cornell), Barbara Grosz (Harvard), and Dylan Hadfield-Menell (MIT). Recordings are available to watch on SRI’s YouTube channel.
For more information on the SRI Seminar Series and to register, visit SRI’s Events page.
About the SRI Seminar Series
SRI Seminars are held on a weekly basis, with each session featuring a leading or emerging researcher whose work offers new and innovative solutions regarding the impacts of technology on society.
Speakers present for 45 minutes, followed by an open discussion with participants, including SRI’s research community, specialists from other institutions, students, and the general public. Session recordings are available on SRI’s YouTube channel.
All events are free and open to the public.
