The Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society (SRI) is a research centre at the University of Toronto. It was founded in 2019 following a $100 million gift from Gerald Schwartz and Heather Reisman.
SRI's stated mission is to deepen understanding of technologies, societies, and what it means to be human. It aims to ensure that new technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), are developed in ways that are safe, ethical, and beneficial to society. Formally an extra-departmental unit (EDU) of the Faculty of Arts and Science, the SRI brings together interdisciplinary researchers across computer science, philosophy, law, political science, economics, psychology, and other fields.
The institute is housed within the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus, an innovation hub in Toronto's Discovery District that also houses the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence. Its inaugural director and Schwartz Reisman Chair in Technology and Society was Gillian Hadfield, an economist, legal scholar and AI researcher in the Henry N.R. Jackman Faculty of Law.
Focus areas The institute bridges the gap between AI technology development and human-centred fields. It has two main streams:
Research stream: Explores fundamental questions at the intersection of technology and humanity. Solutions stream: Collaborates directly with policymakers, industry leaders, and civil society to translate academic research into actionable policy recommendations, regulatory frameworks, and governance standards.
People Notable researchers affiliated with the Schwartz Reisman Institute include:
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