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.

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.

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.

SRI Chair David Duvenaud’s op-ed in The Guardian explores the impact of AI on human relevance and suggests strategies for adapting to ensure we aren't outpaced in every area of society.

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.

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?

We hear certain terminology used frequently in efforts to regulate artificial intelligence. But what do we mean when we talk about “safety” and “trust”? Are advanced artificial intelligence (AI) systems a threat to our sense of safety and security? Can we trust AI systems to perform increasingly critical roles in society? Precise and useful understandings of these terms across diverse contexts are a crucial step toward effective policymaking.

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.

We hear certain terminology used frequently in efforts to regulate artificial intelligence. But what do we mean when we talk about “harm, “risk,” “safety,” and “trust”? SRI experts take us through the implications of the words we use in the rules we create.

What is generative AI? How do large language models work? SRI Policy Researcher Jamie Sandhu lays the groundwork for understanding LLMs and other generative AI tools as they increasingly permeate our daily interactions.