The rise of ChatGPT is challenging our approaches to teaching and assessing writing in the liberal arts and sciences, writes SRI Faculty Affiliate Rhonda McEwen, who argues that generative AI technologies are here to stay and should be part of the world for which we prepare our students.

SRI Associate Director Peter Loewen argues that to unlock the value of artificial intelligence for the public sector, governments must double down on the importance of human and democratic values.

Are you a scholar with a PhD in a computational discipline? The Schwartz Reisman Institute is hiring a new postdoctoral fellow to engage in a research program headed by Gillian Hadfield that will explore the phenomenon of human normativity and group coordination.

ChatGPT’s ability to respond to user prompts in ways that are eerily similar to humans has sparked headlines and concerns around the potential impacts of large language models. In a panel on TVO’s The Agenda, Gillian Hadfield discussed why the system is a “game changer.”

In his new book Power and Prediction: The Disruptive Economics of Artificial Intelligence, SRI Research Lead Avi Goldfarb makes a compelling case for how AI innovation will evolve, and why it will require systems-level changes to the ways public and private sector organizations make decisions.

The SRI Seminar Series presents cutting-edge research on the social impacts of artificial intelligence and data-driven technologies, providing a unique opportunity to learn from leading experts in a wide range of fields and engage in discussions with the Schwartz Reisman Institute’s interdisciplinary community. Registration for all Winter 2023 sessions is now open.

How can computing researchers better consider the ethical and societal impacts of their work? In a recent SRI Seminar, Harvard professor Barbara Grosz outlined the key findings of a major new report on responsible computing research, which provides practical recommendations for new methodologies and approaches.

Canadian data laws need to respect the sovereignty of Indigenous data, argue John Borrows and Lisa Austin. There are a number of provisions in which the newly-proposed Bill C-27 legislation could better align with Indigenous laws and values, and in doing so address the urgent goal of reconciliation.

The Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society has launched its call for 2023 faculty and graduate fellowships, open to researchers at the University of Toronto whose work explores the social impacts of new technologies.

Responding to Bill C-27’s proposed Consumer Privacy Protection Act, Jamie Duncan and Wendy H. Wong explain why Canadians need data and privacy legislation that protects us not just from individual dangers, but collective harms as well.

How will Bill C-27’s Consumer Privacy Protection Act change the obligations of large internet platforms and search engines, especially with respect to their ability to target advertising and recommend content? Open questions remain around the new legislation that hinge on the interpretation of platforms’ necessary and legitimate interests.

Does Canada’s newly-proposed Consumer Privacy Protection Act sufficiently promote and protect the digital identities of youth? Guest contributor Michael J. S. Beauvais and Leslie Regan Shade argue that the draft legislation takes a thin view of consent and choice requirements for online services, and that clearer and more stringent rules around data privacy are needed.