Despite the growing use of ChatGPT, we lack a method to evaluate its performance and potential risks. SRI Associate Director Lisa Austin, Faculty Fellow Shion Guha, and Faculty Affiliates Anastasia Kuzminykh and Shurui Zhou are setting out to study and analyze the impact of generative AI on a wide range of communities. Learn more about "Toward a Fair and Inclusive Future of Work with ChatGPT."

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.

For the third consecutive year, the Schwartz Reisman Institute of Technology and Society opened its doors to a select group of Juris Doctor (JD) students through its summer Research Assistant (RA) program. Learn more about this year's research projects and how our RA partnership with the Future of Law Lab has opened new insights and experiences for students interested in AI governance.

In April 2024, the Government of Canada pledged $2.4bn toward AI in its annual budget, including $50m for a new AI Safety Institute. What scope, expertise, and authority will the new institute need to achieve its full potential? We examine the early approaches of similar institutes in the UK, US, and EU.

Griefbots are artificial intelligence programs designed to mimic deceased individuals by using their digital footprint. Griefbots raise significant concerns about data collection and implications to human dignity. This article explores the digital afterlife industry and the ethical and legal challenges it presents, including a consideration of health, privacy, and property laws in Canada.

A new report from SRI Research Lead Beth Coleman, SRI Graduate Fellow Madison Mackley, and collaborators explores questions such as: How can we facilitate data-sharing across divisions to improve public policy and service delivery? What are the risks of data-sharing, how can we mitigate those risks, and what are the potential benefits of doing it right?

Can we trust the behaviours, predictions, and pronouncements of the advanced artificial intelligence (AI) systems that are seemingly everywhere in our lives? This question is being explored using a multidisciplinary approach by a working group led by SRI Research Lead Beth Coleman. Learn more about the group members and what they’re working on.

Although foreign interference did not impact the results of Canadian elections in 2019 and 2021, it ‘stained’ the electoral process, undermining public confidence in Canada’s democratic institutions. What measures does Bill C-70 (“An Act respecting countering foreign interference”) take to bolster Canadian confidence in elections? And how might it apply to the use of AI in our elections?

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. Speakers include: Peter Railton, Harper Reed, Huili Chen, Ray Perrault, Gillian Hadfield, and more.

Can algorithmic decision-making help clear backlogs in the courts, and is this a justified use of the technology? Do automated systems make “better” decisions than human judges, and what do we mean by “better”? Should legal professionals be involved in the design of automated systems, and if so, how? Nathalie Smuha and Abdi Aidid discuss these and related questions.

Canada’s federal government has released the latest draft of its online harms bill, otherwise known as Bill C-63. Below, Schwartz Reisman researchers take us on a tour through key aspects of the bill, including its taxonomy of harms, new expectations and requirements for social media platforms, and new kinds of protections for children and youth online.

The Schwartz Reisman Institute is pleased to announce the addition of 10 new faculty affiliates to its research community. Hailing from across the University of Toronto, the new cohort of faculty affiliates brings an array of expertise from diverse fields including sociology, Indigenous studies, philosophy, and computer science, enriching the scope of research conducted by SRI’s vibrant community.