Privacy law reforms are cropping up around the globe, as data and new technologies become increasingly powerful, autonomous, and ubiquitous. What are the details of the proposed new legislation in Canada and others like it around the world? And what are the implications for citizens, technologists, businesses, and public policy? A new series explores these questions.

AI tools and technologies are steadily being integrated into all aspects of our lives. While AI’s potential benefits are immense, the harms they can cause have led to a lack of trust. A new partnership between AI Global and the Schwartz Reisman Institute, in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, will create a globally recognized certification mark for the responsible and trusted use of AI systems.

Meet the Schwartz Reisman inaugural group of faculty and graduate fellows, whose areas of research and proposed projects vary widely in scope and subject matter but are united in their focus on ensuring powerful new technologies are effective, safe, ethical, and fair. SRI is pleased to support the innovative work conducted by these stellar U of T researchers across all three campuses.

Specialist in human-computer interaction, healthcare software and hardware, and the intersections between humanities and engineering, Matt Ratto has been recognized for his work on the Toronto Emergency Device Accelerator (TEDA), an interdisciplinary solutions-oriented project that deploys equipment from across U of T to produce medical supplies like masks, face shields, and ventilators.

Would you like to bring your skills and experience in a computational discipline like economics, computational social science, or computer science to the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society?

Miyo Yamashita is well-known in corporate Canada, having held various senior leadership roles in healthcare, banking, and consulting. She will work closely with Schwartz Reisman researchers and leadership to ensure powerful tools like AI can serve the common good and to build collaborative projects that move responsible AI in industry into practical implementation.

Former Google exec, engineer, serial entrepreneur, and specialist in responsible AI Ron Bodkin has been appointed VP of AI Engineering and CIO at Vector and Engineering Lead at the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society.

The COVID Alert app is a useful tool in the fight against the pandemic. But it’s also a concerning indicator of the increasingly decisive role “Big Tech” plays in policy choices. Lisa Austin, David Lie, and Wendy Wong co-wrote an opinion piece about the design and privacy implications of the new federally-approved exposure notification app.

Eight world renowned scholars will form the core intellectual leadership of the Schwartz Reisman Institute. They will collaboratively develop an ambitious research agenda that spans research in artificial intelligence and computer science, the social sciences, and the humanities. Learn more about our inaugural research leadership team.

It all begins with an idea. As the inaugural director of the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society, Gillian Hadfield will draw on her varied background – in economics and law, humanities, business and high tech – to help ensure technological innovation is implemented fairly and equitably in societies around the world.