The practice of sortition, in which random selection is used to generate citizens’ assemblies, is a method of political representation as old as democracy itself. In a recent SRI Seminar, Harvard professor Ariel Procaccia discussed how better algorithms can ensure this process accurately represents population demographics. SRI Graduate Fellow Lillio Mok reflects here on the implications of Procaccia’s research.

The 2022 Schwartz Reisman Graduate Workshop invites graduate and early career scholars to present their work at a one-day, virtual event on June 20th, as part of Absolutely Interdisciplinary 2022. Organized by SRI’s Graduate Fellows, this year’s workshop centers on the theme of trust, broadly defined, and its relationship to technology and society.

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.

SRI Faculty Affiliate Shion Guha joined U of T’s Faculty of Information in 2021 to help develop its new program in human-centered data science, a nascent field that he has co-authored a new textbook about. In this interview, Guha reflects on the challenges of using algorithmic decision-making in public policy, and how to make better data-driven systems by incorporating human-centered design.

Are you a U of T researcher who is passionate about ensuring new technologies are effective, safe, ethical, and fair? The Schwartz Reisman Institute welcomes faculty and graduate fellowship applications from U of T researchers from all academic disciplines.

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.

In a new paper published, SRI Faculty Affiliate Ashton Anderson uses machine learning to demonstrate the 2016 rise in online political polarization was driven by a growth in new, largely right-wing, users, rather than the radicalization of existing users. Anderson’s data challenges the theory that online echo chambers are a primary cause of polarization.

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.

Hailing from a wide variety of disciplines, our graduate fellows represent the best and brightest U of T student researchers working on topics at the intersection of technology and society. The fellows will serve a one-year term at the Schwartz Reisman Institute.