In the Schwartz Reisman Institute’s inaugural Kitchen Table event, Research Lead Wendy Wong and Faculty Fellow Anna Su hosted a wide-ranging discussion on the implications of human rights for data ownership and privacy, and how we can address the challenges of writing new rules for an increasingly digital world.

In a recent SRI Seminar, Faculty Fellow Syed Ishtiaque Ahmed demonstrated how the dominant model of AI ethics is insufficient to strengthen the voices of local communities in the Global South. Ahmed contends scholars should move away from “universal” notions of intelligence, and foster situated ethical practices that take into account local hopes, faith, and stories.

How can artificial intelligence improve public services and help create a more sustainable future? Can governments implement AI in ways that ensure fairness and transparency? To explore these questions, SRI has partnered with the Canada School of Public Service to present an eight-part series designed to explain what AI is, where it’s headed, and what public servants need to know about it.

The SRI Seminar Series returns January 19, 2022 for a new season of weekly presentations, bringing together the Schwartz Reisman research community and beyond for a robust exchange of ideas that advance scholarship at the intersection of technology and society.

Where is technology leading us? When we speak about the future, what does it mean for our identity as individuals and as citizens of states? When we arrive home, what will it look like? Themes of identity, place, and mediation were explored at the Schwartz Reisman Institute’s graduate workshop “Views on Techno-Utopia” by presenters Rushay Naik and Lilith Acadia.

Machine learning (ML) is increasingly used for producing automated decisions throughout society. While ML offers the promise of scale and efficiency, it runs the risk of codifying biases—such as racism and sexism—in its decisions. As discussed in the Absolutely Interdisciplinary conference session “Fairness in Machine Learning,” understanding and mitigating this risk will require a team effort from scholars across many disciplines.

At the Schwartz Reisman Institute’s graduate workshop "Views on Techno-Utopia," presenters Jamie Duncan and Julian Posada discussed the disconnect between the complex circumstances in which the data used to train AI systems are sourced and the laws and regulations designed to protect people’s data rights.

Absolutely Interdisciplinary 2021 brought together over 270 participants from around the world, to explore the theme of “Human and Machine Normativity: New Connections.” The conference brought together researchers working on similar questions from a variety of disciplines in order to map out new terrain for thinking about human and machine normativity.

This year’s Absolutely Interdisciplinary conference will forge new connections between researchers studying normativity in human and machine contexts, bringing academic disciplines together to develop novel approaches towards ensuring technology is aligned with human values. The conference runs from June 16-18, 2021.

A proposed new tool aims to aggregate commercial data to enable a safe re-opening of Toronto’s Financial District. But the project raises questions around usability and privacy, as well as concerns about its value, risks, and feasibility. SRI reports on a Solutions Workshop with findings relevant to broader implications for data sharing and privacy.

When we say that something is good or bad, is that a claim about objective facts, or something dependent on our perspective? Guest blogger Cory Travers Lewis reflects on Denis Walsh’s way of thinking about norms—one which treats them as both objective facts and as dependent on the perspective of particular living things.

SRI Graduate Fellow Shabnam Haghzare reflects on Joanna J. Bryson’s seminar about AI ethics, AI as human-authored tool, and the need for AI regulation in the service of public good. Bryson is professor of ethics and technology at the Hertie School in Berlin.