How can we stay in control when AI systems surpass human intelligence? In a recent SRI Seminar, Schwartz Reisman Chair David Duvenaud explored the frontier of AI safety, alignment, and governance, introducing new research on “dangerous capability” evaluations and control protocols designed to detect when AI models become too powerful to oversee.

Global security expert and author Bruce Schneier—known for reshaping how the world understands security, privacy, and trust—has joined the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy and the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society (SRI) as a visiting senior policy fellow for 2025–26.

SRI Chair David Duvenaud shares reflections from the Post-AGI workshop, highlighting the value of diverse perspectives and the challenges of envisioning post-AGI trajectories.

Can we have genuine relationships with AI systems? At the third Technophilosophy Soiree, conceived of and led by SRI Research Lead Karina Vold, leading thinkers from a variety of disciplines explored the social and ethical implications of AI companionship.

From AI chatbots marketed as digital partners to voice assistants designed for intimacy, these systems promise connection while raising urgent questions about privacy, manipulation, and digital addiction.

The Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society responds to Canada’s consultation on global privacy certifications, outlining how CBPR and PRP can strengthen data protection, build public trust, and drive innovation in the digital economy.

With two new appointments and six renewed roles, the Schwartz Reisman Institute’s 2025–26 cohort of research leads will advance projects on trust, creative pedagogy, agentic AI, democratic fairness, and human–machine relationships, fostering public dialogue and policy insights on the transformative role of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence.

The Schwartz Reisman Institute is proud to announce its SRI Seminar Series programming for Fall 2025. This semester, an extraordinary lineup of scholars, technologists, and legal thinkers will examine urgent issues at the intersection of technology, governance, and society. Through thought-provoking presentations of new research and ideas, the series will explore topics ranging from the ethics of AI in education and the creative industries, to the governance of advanced AI systems, to the social and political dynamics of democratic engagement in the digital age.

In a new essay series, the policy team at the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society examines AI’s impact on the values underpinning democratic societies and governance. The series explores how AI, if left unchecked, may impact democracy – offering both an opportunity to reaffirm democratic values and critically assess the role of AI governance and regulation.

The Schwartz Reisman Institute is pleased to announce the appointment of 24 new faculty affiliates for the 2025–26 academic year—its largest incoming cohort to date. Representing a broad range of disciplinary backgrounds, the new affiliates bring deep expertise in artificial intelligence (AI), data science, public policy, digital culture, healthcare, ethics, law, sustainability, and education.

Researchers and scholars spent the day at the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus tackling some big-picture questions about the future of AI and society.

At SRI’s annual conference, participants discussed future directions and key challenges in AI research, including the complexities of aligning advanced AI with human values and interdisciplinary perspectives on AI safety.