Speakers include: Shingai Manjengwa (Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute), Rafael Grohmann (@utoronto.ca), Laura Rosella (University of Toronto), @zhijingjin.bsky.social (University of Toronto), Peter Lewis (@ontariotechu.bsky.social), & Vanessa Richter (University of Bremen).

On April 29 SRI hosts the 2026 Graduate Workshop, exploring trustworthy AI, governance, and the future of intelligent systems. This event is in Toronto and Online. Registration details are in the link provided.

Who gets to shape the future of AI—and on what terms?

Join us April 29 for SRI’s 2026 Graduate Workshop, exploring trustworthy AI, governance, and the future of intelligent systems.

📍 Toronto + Online
🎟️ Registration: sri-graduate-workshop-2026.eventbrite.ca

#AI #ResponsibleAI #AIGovernance

Thank you to our speakers theannasu@bsky.social, @pklasse.bsky.social, Suzanne van Geuns, John Modern, Sarah Sharma, and Syed Ishtiaque Ahmed.

What can the history of religious alignment teach us about AGI?

Last night SRI, @uoftreligion.bsky.social, & @uoftdsi.bsky.social cohosted an interdisciplinary panel exploring how past visions of alignment shape AI’s future.

Missed the talk? A recording will be available soon.

We recently convened a global workshop on AI & Trust, supported by CIFAR. The event is part of SRI’s AI & Trust Working Group – a multinational, transdisciplinary research initiative that is examining the role of trust and trustworthiness in AI systems.

Learn about our Working Group: uoft.me/ciq

CIFAR awards over $1M to support sociotechnical challenges in AI safety - CIFAR Eight projects announced to receive funding for AI safety research.

Researchers affiliated with SRI at @utoronto.ca (including @semrasevi.bsky.social, Elliot Creager, Matt Ratto, @zhijingjin.bsky.social, & @minzlicht.bsky.social) are part of 8 new CIFAR projects focused on examining AI Safety through the lens of social sciences & the humanities.
shorturl.at/NAwej

Author Karen Hao speaking with moderator Nathalie A. Smuha at the University of Toronto on front of a larger crowd.

SRI recently welcomed @nytimes.com bestselling author @karenhao.bsky.social on her first visit to @utoronto.ca for conversations on the global political economy of AI.

Missed it? Listen to Hao’s talk, along with an interview with Nahlah Ayed, on CBC Ideas.

🔗 srinstitute.utoronto.ca/news/karen-h...

SRI Seminar Series: Zhijing Jin, “Emergent AI safety risks in multi-agent LLMs” — Schwartz Reisman Institute How can advanced AI systems reason, coordinate, and act responsibly in complex social settings? Join University of Toronto incoming assistant professor and Max Planck Institute research scientist Zhij...

Join us in-person, or online, this Wednesday for a special SRI Seminar Series event with @zhijingjin.bsky.social
of @uoftcompsci.bsky.social.

Talk: "Emergent AI safety risks in multi-agent LLMs."
📅 Wednesday, March 18, 2026
⏰ 12:30–2:00 PM
Register: uoft.me/cfx

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

Is AI Hiding Its Full Power? With Geoffrey Hinton YouTube video by StarTalk

“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

AI must foster 'maternal instincts' or we risk extinction, warns Geoffrey Hinton | CBC Radio Nobel Prize Winner and ‘godfather’ of artificial intelligence Geoffrey Hinton warns if AI continues to develop without appropriate guardrails, a worst-case scenario could unfold and lead to human exti...

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

When the algorithm is wrong: A new partnership calls out racism in AI systems  — Schwartz Reisman Institute A new partnership co-led by Karina Vold is confronting racism in AI systems—highlighting how tools like facial recognition and LLMs disproportionately harm Black and racialized communities, and callin...

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!

Opinion: Big Tech companies effectively govern our lives. It’s time they’re held accountable for it These companies govern, unelected, through data-intensive platforms. It’s time we acknowledge that governance explicitly

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...

Rethinking knowledge in the age of AI — Schwartz Reisman Institute SRI Faculty Affiliate Paolo Granata reflects on his new book Generative Knowledge: Think, Learn, Create with AI , rethinking how artificial intelligence reshapes learning, research, and creativity ...

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...

Beyond algorithms: Travis LaCroix on AI and the value alignment problem — Schwartz Reisman Institute SRI Faculty Affiliate Travis LaCroix explores the social and political dimensions of AI ethics in his new book Artificial Intelligence and the Value Alignment Problem , arguing that meaningful alig...

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...

David Duvenaud on why ‘aligned AI’ could still kill democracy | 80,000 Hours

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...

Call for 2026 Schwartz Reisman Institute Graduate Fellows now open — Schwartz Reisman Institute The Schwartz Reisman Institute is now accepting applications for its 2026 Graduate Fellowships, supporting U of T researchers advancing responsible, human-centred approaches to AI and emerging technol...

⏰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...

SRI Presents Empire of AI: Karen Hao — Schwartz Reisman Institute Join us for this in-person event as Karen Hao draws on her global reporting and insider access to discuss the implications of AI’s rapid deployment, the erosion of democratic norms, and the need to ...

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.”

Therapy bots: Regulating the future of AI-enabled mental health support — Schwartz Reisman Institute AI therapy chatbots promise accessible mental health support—but without proper oversight, they risk misleading users and causing harm. The Schwartz Reisman Institute’s new policy brief outlines how C...

✨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