Absolutely Interdisciplinary Conference 2024
The Absolutely Interdisciplinary Conference 2024 is an annual academic event hosted by the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society at the University of Toronto. This conference brings together leading thinkers from diverse fields to engage in conversations that encourage innovation and inspire new insights into the challenges presented by artificial intelligence (AI) and other powerful technologies.
The 2024 conference, held from May 6 to May 8, featured sessions on topics such as AI in healthcare, value alignment for harmful AI, online safety and content moderation, sustainable cities, human-machine coexistence, AI safety cases, and the future of democracy. Notable sessions included "Innovating care: An interdisciplinary dialogue on AI in healthcare," "Harming virtuously: Value alignment for harmful AI," and "AI and the future of democracy."
The event provided ample networking opportunities, including receptions at the end of each day. The conference concluded with the Ian P. Sharp Lecture delivered by Beth Simone Noveck, titled "From ballots to bots: AI’s transformative role in democratic societies."
This conference is ideal for AI researchers, social scientists, humanists, policymakers, and industry professionals interested in exploring interdisciplinary approaches to AI governance, risk, and safety. Attendees gain valuable insights into emerging research areas and engage in discussions that foster interdisciplinary connections.
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Speakers(24)
Ashton Anderson
Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science at University of Toronto
Ashton Anderson is an associate professor of computer science at the University of Toronto and a research lead at the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society. His work bridges computer science and the social sciences.
Avi Goldfarb
Beth Coleman
Associate Professor, Institute of Communication, Culture, Information and Technology at University of Toronto
Beth Coleman is an associate professor at the University of Toronto, focusing on smart technology, machine learning, urban data, and civic engagement. She is a research lead on AI policy and praxis at the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society.
Branka Marijan
Senior Researcher at Project Ploughshares
Branka Marijan is a senior researcher at Project Ploughshares, focusing on the military and security implications of emerging technologies, including autonomous weapons systems and AI in warfare.
Bree McEwan
Associate Professor, Institute of Communication, Culture, Information and Technology at University of Toronto
Bree McEwan is an associate professor at the University of Toronto and associate director for the Data Sciences Institute. Her research focuses on the social implications of digital communication technologies.
Christy Prada
Daniel Buchman
Associate Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health at University of Toronto
Daniel Buchman is a bioethicist and scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and an associate professor at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health. His research explores ethical issues at the intersection of clinical practice and population health.
Dr. Mamatha Bhat
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine at University of Toronto
Dr. Mamatha Bhat is a hepatologist and clinician-scientist at UHN’s Ajmera Transplant Centre and an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. Her research aims to improve long-term outcomes of liver transplantation through precision medicine.
Harper Reed
Huili Chen
Research Fellow at Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, Harvard University
Huili Chen is a multidisciplinary researcher with a PhD from MIT Media Lab, currently a research fellow at Harvard University's Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. Her work integrates computer science, psychology, and design to explore human-machine interaction.
I. Glenn Cohen
James A. Attwood and Leslie Williams Professor of Law at Harvard Law School
I. Glenn Cohen is a professor at Harvard Law School and faculty director of the Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology & Bioethics. He is a leading expert on bioethics and the law, with extensive publications on medical AI and health policy.
Kelly Lyons
Professor, Faculty of Information at University of Toronto
Kelly Lyons is a professor at the University of Toronto and interim director of the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society. Her research interests include service science, knowledge mobilization, data science, and software engineering.
Leah West
Luke Stark
M. Reza Najafi
Maaz Gardezi
Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology at Virginia Tech
Maaz Gardezi is an assistant professor at Virginia Tech, exploring the intersection of climate change and the social implications of emerging digital technologies in food and agriculture systems.
Muhammad Mamdani
Nisarg Shah
Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science at University of Toronto
Nisarg Shah is an associate professor at the University of Toronto, conducting research at the intersection of computer science and economics, addressing issues of fairness and incentives in algorithmic decision-making.
Peter Railton
Ray Perrault
Distinguished Computer Scientist at SRI International
Ray Perrault is a distinguished computer scientist at SRI International and co-chair of the AI Index Steering Committee at Stanford HAI. His research interests include natural language processing and AI safety.
Regina Rini
Roger Grosse
Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science at University of Toronto
Roger Grosse is an associate professor at the University of Toronto and a founding member of the Vector Institute. His research aims to better understand neural net training dynamics to improve various aspects of deep learning.
Syed Ishtiaque Ahmed
Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science at University of Toronto
Syed Ishtiaque Ahmed is an assistant professor of computer science at the University of Toronto and the director of the Third Space research group. His research focuses on design challenges around strengthening the voices of marginalized communities worldwide.
Vanessa Gray
Event Details
- Date
- September 15-16, 2024
- 2 days
- Location
- 🇨🇦 Toronto, Canada
- Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus, University of Toronto
- Audience
- AI researchers, social scientists, humanists, policymakers, industry professionals