ABOUT

ADVANCING NEW IDEAS TO MEET THE CHALLENGES OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE THROUGH CONVERSATION, COMMUNITY, AND INTERDISCIPLINARITY.

Aligning advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) with human values requires understanding the capacities and limitations of the latest technical systems. At the same time, cutting-edge research in the humanities and social sciences is shedding new light on social systems, and how our values and norms evolve to shape human behaviour. 

Often, AI researchers are approaching similar questions to those in other disciplines from different angles. Absolutely Interdisciplinary sets out to generate new conversations and interdisciplinary connections that encourage innovation and insight. Participants will learn about emerging areas of research, as each session pairs scholars from different disciplines to address a common question and facilitate discussion. By examining questions from multiple perspectives, we will foster the interdisciplinary conversations needed to better understand how AI can promote human well-being—for everyone.

 
 

About the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society

The Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society is a research institute at the University of Toronto that explores the ethical and societal implications of technology. Our mission is to deepen knowledge of technologies, societies, and humanity by integrating research across traditional boundaries to build human-centred solutions.

Our research community seeks to rethink technology’s role in society, the needs of human communities, and the systems that govern them. We are investigating how best to align technology with human values and deploy it accordingly.

Across all our activities, SRI convenes world-class expertise and diverse perspectives from universities, government, industry, and beyond to develop new modes of thinking about powerful technologies and their role in what it means to be human in the 21st century. We are defining what’s possible, determining what’s at stake, and devising implementable solutions to make sure technologies like AI are effective, safe, fair, and beneficial—for everyone.