Our 2026 speakers include @tomcostello.bsky.social, @kashhill.bsky.social, @minzlicht.bsky.social, @raphaelmilliere.com, @anatperry.bsky.social, @karinavold.bsky.social, @jevinwest.bsky.social, and more!
🗓️ Absolutely Interdisciplinary returns May 13, 2026.
SRI's annual conference connects technical researchers, social scientists, & humanists to foster new ways of thinking about the challenges posed by AI.
Register: absolutelyinterdisciplinary.com
“We still have time to figure out if there's a way we can coexist happily with AI, and we should be putting a lot of research effort into that.”
Watch Geoffrey Hinton in conversation with Neil deGrasse Tyson about the past, present, & future of neural networks.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6Zc...
As part of the 2025–2026 50th anniversary program of the Department for the Study of Religion, the Department, together with the Schwartz‑Reisman Institute for Technology and Society and the Data Sciences Institute, is pleased to present: Seeking Alignment: Religious Imaginaries in the Past and Future of AI.
What can past visions of religious alignment tell us about our visions for an AI future?
Join SRI and @uoftreligion.bsky.social for an exploration of how religious ideas inform today's debates on AGI alignment and misalignment.
April 8 | 5:30–7:30 PM (In-person only)
Register: uoft.me/ccZ
VP and Fellow at Google, Blaise Agüera y Arcas.
Cooperation, complexity, & the future of intelligence.
Join Google VP & Fellow @blaiseaguera.bsky.social in conversation with SRI Visiting Fellow Bruce Schneier.
In-person only!
March 9 | 2:30 – 4:00 PM
Register:👉https://uoft.me/ccc
SRI Strategic Advisor @geoffreyhinton.bsky.social and host @nahlahayed.bsky.social discuss the long-term possibilities of
AI on the latest episode of @cbcradiocanada.bsky.social Ideas.
Episode: bit.ly/40jfMKU
Founded by SRI Research Lead @karinavold.bsky.social, the Algorithmic Bias in Canada (ABC) project is examining racism in AI, and urging more equitable AI governance in Canada. Learn about ABC 👉 bit.ly/4rVtwYd
Dr. Mamatha Bhat, a clinician-scientist at @UofT and Toronto General Hospital Research Institute whose work bridges hepatology, transplantation, & AI in medicine.
Tomorrow!
Our weekly SRI Seminar Series welcomes Dr. Mamatha Bhat, a clinician-scientist at @utoronto.ca and Toronto General Hospital Research Institute whose work bridges hepatology, transplantation, & AI in medicine.
Feb. 11 | 12:30–2 PM
👉 bit.ly/SRI-seminar
For Toronto area folks, please join us for this super event!
Big Tech doesn’t just sell services — it governs daily life.
In a new @theglobeandmail.com op-ed, SRI Faculty Affiliate @profwhw.bsky.social argues that platforms function as unelected governors and, accordingly, must be held accountable.
🔗 Read more: www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...
How does AI change how we create knowledge?
SRI Faculty Affiliate @paologranata.bsky.social discusses his new book Generative Knowledge, arguing that AI should be understood as a co-creative partner—reshaping learning, research, and creativity itself.
srinstitute.utoronto.ca/news/2026-pa...
Read SRI Faculty Affiliate @travislacroix.bsky.social on why AI alignment both a technical and political problem.
In a recent interview, LaCroix discusses his new book and what it means to align AI with justice, power, and community.
🔗 Read more: srinstitute.utoronto.ca/news/2026-tr...
A new paper co-authored by SRI Chair @davidduvenaud.bsky.social examines “gradual disempowerment”: how incremental AI deployment could steadily reduce human influence over the economy, culture, and the state—without a single abrupt takeover.
80000Hours feature: 80000hours.org/podcast/epis...
⏰Reminder: Applications for the 2026 SRI Graduate Fellowships close Feb 8.
U of T grad students researching the social impacts of technology are encouraged to apply.
📄 Read the call + apply: srinstitute.utoronto.ca/news/2026-ca...
🤖This week in the SRI Seminar Series, @bradknox.bsky.social (@utaustin.bsky.social):
“Harmful traits of AI companions.”
What risks emerge when people form bonded relationships with AI—and how do design choices shape those harms?
📅 Wed Jan 28 | 12:30–2 PM
🔗 www.eventbrite.ca/e/sri-semina...
A handful of companies. Unprecedented resources. Global consequences.
Join us March 11th at @utoronto.ca for an in-person conversation with @karenhao.bsky.social, author of the NYT bestseller Empire of AI.
🎟️ Tickets available now: srinstitute.utoronto.ca/events-archi...
This week in the SRI Seminar Series:
Saadia Gabriel (UCLA)
“Human in the machine: Towards community-grounded AI reasoning.”
How do we align LLMs with human and community values in high-stakes settings?
🗓️ Wed, January 21 -- 12:30–2:00 p.m.
🔗 www.eventbrite.ca/e/sri-semina...
This week in the Winter 2026 SRI Seminar Series: @saffron.bsky.social, “Beyond the benchmark.”
Why do standard AI benchmarks fail to capture real-world impact—and how can we do better?
📅 Wednesday, January 14
⏰ 12:30–2:00 p.m.
🔗 www.eventbrite.ca/e/sri-semina...
#AI #AIGovernance #ResponsibleAI
New op-ed: SRI Executive Director Monique Crichlow reflects on Canada's AI strategy—and why science must stay at the heart of AI policy, not just adoption and growth.
Read more: sciencepolicy.ca/posts/ai-and...
Geoffrey Hinton speaking at the Collision 2024 technology conference in Toronto.
Nobel Laureate Geoffrey Hinton is advancing his AI Safety advocacy work through @torontosri.bsky.social, thanks to a generous gift from the Good Ventures foundation.
Learn more: bit.ly/4aPgHcK
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney pictured with Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society Chair David Duvenaud while visiting the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus in Toronto.
✨ 12 Days of SRI! Day 12 ✨
We close 2025 reflecting on 🇨🇦 Prime Minister @mark-carney.bsky.social's visit to the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus, emphasizing Canada’s pivotal role in shaping AI’s future.
His message: “Build boldly, stay true to our values, & steward AI for the public good.”
✨12 Days of SRI! Day 11✨
Can AI chatbots safely act as “therapists”—or are users being misled by a dangerous regulatory gap?
This year, SRI outlined why urgent action is needed—and what smart regulation could look like.
📘 Read the policy brief: tinyurl.com/5bxcfh7n
✨12 Days of SRI! Day 10✨
Celebrating Bruce Schneier, SRIs visiting senior policy fellow, who joined our community to advance work on digital trust, governance & the future of AI.
Read his AI & Trust talk + our interview
📘Talk: tinyurl.com/2zb5j9zw
🗂️Interview: tinyurl.com/4mwyxfr2
✨12 Days of SRI! Day 8✨
Celebrating Bruce Schneier, SRIs visiting senior policy fellow, who joined our community to advance work on digital trust, governance & the future of AI.
Read his AI & Trust talk + our interview
📘Talk: tinyurl.com/2zb5j9zw
🗂️Interview: tinyurl.com/4mwyxfr2
✨12 Days of SRI! Day 9✨
This year SRI Chair @davidduvenaud.bsky.social advanced work on dangerous capability evaluations, post-AGI futures, and impacts of rapidly improving AI.
📘Post-AGI workshop srinstitute.utoronto.ca/news/agiwork...
📰 Op-ed in @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/books/2025/m...
Deepfakes are getting harder to spot—and easier to weaponize.
SRI Faculty Affiliate Shion Guha shares cues: “too perfect” faces, impossible visual glitches, and audio that’s slightly off.
@uoftcompsci.bsky.social @uoftmedicine.bsky.social
uoftmedmagazine.utoronto.ca/2026-winter/...
✨12 Days of SRI! Day 8✨
SRI Research Lead Sheila McIlraith was named a 2025 AI2050 Senior Fellow by @schmidtsciences.bsky.social ences, recognizing her leadership in human-compatible AI.
Read more: tinyurl.com/ycyhbjcy @uoftcompsci.bsky.social
✨12 Days of SRI! Day 7✨
SRI experts visited Paris this year to strengthen international action towards AI; at the Paris AI Action summit, Research Lead Beth Coleman led the roundtable discussion “Building Trust in AI: A Multifaceted Approach.”
📺 Recap: tinyurl.com/bddssezh
Join SRI’s interdisciplinary community of scholars shaping the future of technology & society.
The 2026 Graduate Fellowship call is now live.
📄 Apply by Feb 8, 2026: srinstitute.utoronto.ca/news/2026-ca...
What makes an AI a good companion? 🤖
Join Brad Knox from UT Austin on Jan. 28 for a deep dive into reinforcement learning, human feedback and the traits that shape socially interactive AI agents.
Register now for @torontosri.bsky.social's Seminar Series: www.eventbrite.ca/e/sri-semina...
