World-leading computer security expert David Lie will take on the role of the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society’s (SRI) director, while two renowned AI safety experts—Roger Grosse and David Duvenaud—are being appointed Schwartz Reisman Chairs in Technology and Society.

The Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society is proud to welcome four new faculty fellows and 15 graduate fellows from across the University of Toronto. SRI fellowships support interdisciplinary research projects that build new approaches to examine the complex relations between technology and society.

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.

How can we help people recognize AI-generated images? Can we prevent copyrighted materials from being used in training data? What’s going on in the new field of forensic analysis of ML systems? These and related topics were at the centre of the 2024 Secure and Trustworthy Machine Learning (SaTML) conference in Toronto. Read the highlights.

SRI Faculty Affiliate Nicolas Papernot is using a protocol borrowed from cryptography to develop a technical framework in preparation for possible AI regulation. For this multidisciplinary collaborative project that also includes SRI researcher Lisa Austin, Papernot received an AI2050 Schmidt Sciences Early Career fellowship.

A new report report shares findings on opinions about artificial intelligence (AI) in 21 countries. GPO-AI reveals varying, diverse and region-specific attitudes about the use of artificial intelligence, and topics of focus in the survey include job loss, deepfakes, and state regulation. The project was led by SRI Associate Director Peter Loewen, and features contributions from SRI Graduate Fellow Blake Lee-Whiting.

At SRI’s annual academic conference, leading researchers from diverse fields came together to tackle the complexities of AI alignment and how to better understand the social impacts of data-driven technologies. 28 distinguished speakers presented new approaches and ideas to better understand how these technologies are impacting our world.

SRI Research Lead Beth Coleman and SRI Faculty Affiliate Rahul Krishnan are co-hosts of the new podcast “What Now? AI”. Coleman and Krishnan explore—and demystify—artificial intelligence and its impact on society with the help of leading experts. Guests include Gillian Hadfield, Roger Grosse, Christine Allen, and Andrew Pinto.

As challenges such as AI safety, data privacy, and misinformation become increasingly prevalent, the Embedded Ethics Education Initiative integrates ethics modules into computer science courses at U of T. In recognition of the program’s impact on the student learning experience, the team has won the 2024 Northrop Frye Award

The Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) has released their 7th annual AI Index, and this year’s edition includes data from a joint project by SRI and the Policy, Elections and Representation Lab (PEARL) at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy. The Stanford Index is considered one of the most trusted and widely-read indices about the state of AI in the world.

Acclaimed science fiction author Ted Chiang reflects on these and related questions: What is the relationship between technology and human cognition? How have writing and language been deployed as technologies throughout human history? And what does the future of computers hold—will it give rise to a new kind of cognitive technology?

When new technologies enter the world, they must earn trust. How can we create trust in artificial intelligence? A new report from the Certification Working Group (CWG) explores the necessary elements of an ecosystem that can deliver effective certification to support AI that is responsible, trustworthy, ethical, and fair.