Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus

Leah Cowen

Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society

Wesley Hall

Department of Computer Science

CIFAR

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Subheadline

The 2024 co-winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics - known to many as the "godfather of AI" - was honoured at an event attended by a who's who of the Toronto research community

There were standing ovations, peals of laughter and even a few tears as the University of Toronto welcomed Geoffrey Hinton back to campus after he won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics.

A University Professor Emeritus of computer science, Hinton traded the “cheap hotel room in California,” where he received the life-changing news, for an emotional reception in the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus’s airy event hall.

The Oct. 10 event drew U of T leaders, supporters, dignitaries and other luminaries. They included Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, University Professor Emeritus John Polanyi, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1986, and Massey College Principal James Orbinski, who accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of Doctors Without Borders in 1999.

Several of Hinton’s many collaborators and proteges also attended the event – not to mention students who were simply eager to catch a glimpse of the “godfather of AI.”

Hinton chats with U of T Scarborough Professor David Fleet and Google Research Scientists Sara Sabour and Daniel Watson (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Though sleep deprived, Hinton regaled the audience with fond recollections of his early years as an AI researcher, snapshots of his trademark dry humour and warm expressions of gratitude for mentors, collaborators and, of course, his many students.

“I’ve been blessed to have brilliant graduate students and post-docs,” Hinton said.

“I had a principle when selecting graduate students: ‘If they’re not smarter than me, what’s the point?’ And I’ve had quite a number of graduate students who were smarter than me.

“They did things I wouldn’t have been able to do, so I’d like to thank them.”

He said two figures in particular played a huge role in the work that led to his Nobel Prize, which he shared with Princeton University’s John J. Hopfield. The first was Terry Sejnowsky, a computational neuroscientist and former student of Hopfield’s, who worked with Hinton on Boltzmann machines – a period Hinton described as “the most happy research time of my life.”

He also praised the contributions of the late David Rumelhart, a psychologist at Stanford University, who worked with him to develop backpropagation algorithms, a key breakthrough.

“[He] should have won the Nobel Prize,” Hinton said. “But unfortunately, Dave got a horrible brain disease and he died quite young.” (The Nobel organization doesn’t award the honour posthumously).

Hinton poses for a picture with Assistant Professor Chris Maddison, who was one of the last graduate students Hinton supervised (photo by Mac Pattanasuttinont)

Chris Maddison joined Hinton’s research group as an undergraduate and was one of the last students he supervised. Now an assistant professor in U of T’s departments of computer science and statistical sciences in the Faculty of Arts & Science, Maddison lauded Hinton as “a steadfast mentor and supporter who saw strength in me that I didn’t see” and said one of his greatest attributes was his sheer enthusiasm.

“No matter what’s going on, you can find him in the lab on Sundays at 8 p.m. playing with his MATLAB scripts like a child playing with Legos,” Maddison said. “He never lost that child-like sense of wonder that buoyed him and the group.”

U of T President Meric Gertler said, via video message from Indonesia, where he was on university business, that Hinton is “one of the great minds of the 21st century” (photo by Johnny Guatto)

U of T President Meric Gertler, who was in Indonesia on university business when the prize was announced, hailed Hinton in a video message as “one of the great minds of the 21st century” and someone who “literally created new ways of thinking about thinking and learning.”

He noted that Hinton’s AI leadership extends to the pressing question of responsible and safe development of the technology.

“With his Nobel win, he’s now perfectly positioned to amplify this concern on a world stage.” President Gertler said.

Hinton shares a laugh with University Professor Molly Shoichet of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering (photo by Johnny Guatto)

The event’s guest list served as a reminder of Hinton’s outsized influence on the research community in Toronto and beyond, drawing key figures from: the Vector Institute, where Hinton is co-founder and chief scientific adviser; the Schwartz Reisman Institute of Technology and Society, where he sits on the advisory board; and CIFAR (Canadian Institute for Advanced Research), where Hinton is an adviser and longtime fellow.

Hinton poses for a photo with Leah Cowen, U of T’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Leah Cowen, U of T’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives, reminded the accomplished audience that Hinton’s historic achievement – both the Nobel Prize and the AI revolution he helped spark – was the result of years toiling in an “unpromising backwater” of AI research.

“It is tempting to think that it happened almost overnight, but it didn’t,” Cowen said.

University Professors Emeriti – and fellow Nobel Prize-winners – Geoffrey Hinton and John Polanyi have their photo taken together (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Hinton took time to reflect on periods of personal struggle and tragedy – and thank those who helped him in his hour of need.

When his wife had an incurable form of cancer, he recalled how U of T President Emeritus David Naylor, a physician, medical researcher and former dean of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, carried out research on a possible alternative treatment that was being explored – incorporating input from top medical experts – and presented him with a report of his findings.

“He’s a tremendous human being,” Hinton said of Naylor, who was in the audience.

Hinton shares a moment with U of T President Emeritus David Naylor (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Hinton also recalled how, when his first wife became ill in 1993 – also with cancer – his post-doctoral trainee Peter Dayan, now a director at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, stepped in to advise Hinton’s graduate students, giving him time to care for his ailing spouse.

“At times like this, you remember the people who helped you most when things were very difficult,” Hinton said.

He later pointed out that Dayan went on to supervise one of this year’s winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Demis Hassabis, joking that this made Dayan “the meat in a Nobel sandwich.”

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Canada was lucky to have Hinton, who was born in the U.K., and thanked his daughter for sharing her father with the country, with science and the world (photo by Johnny Guatto)

For Minister Freeland, Hinton’s award showcased the value of ideas and of fundamental research. She said Hinton’s Nobel Prize sent waves of pride across Canada, which she said was “lucky as a country” that Hinton arrived on its shores back in 1987.

“Geoff shows that you can be a really brilliant intellectual and also a really great human being who cares about his community and his country,” Freeland said. “I am constantly struck by how Geoff thinks about the bigger implications of his ideas and how Geoff thinks about really wanting to make Canada and the world a better place.”

Hinton chats with Melanie Woodin, dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science, who thanked him for his friendship and mentorship – and his dedication to science and scholarship (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Following the program – which also featured remarks by U of T Chancellor Wes Hall, Faculty of Arts & Science Dean Melanie Woodin and Christine Szustaczek, U of T’s vice-president, communications – Hinton mingled with members of the audience, shook hands with students and caught up with former colleagues and trainees.

Clockwise from top left: Christine Szustaczek, Wes Hall, Chris Maddison, Leah Cowen, Geoffrey Hinton and Melanie Woodin (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Brendan Frey, professor in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering and CEO of AI-powered therapeutics startup Deep Genomics, said he was one of many who earned his PhD under Hinton’s supervision.

“I think of Geoff as the father of a community that includes myself, other graduate students and all the people who didn’t believe but then came to believe – and he inspired all of us,” said Frey, who shared a hug with his former supervisor following the event.

“I’m really happy for him.”

Inaugural AcceleratorFest aims to inspire budding entrepreneurs at U of T

rahul.kalvapalle — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 19:17:46 +0000

Inaugural AcceleratorFest aims to inspire budding entrepreneurs at U of T

rahul.kalvapalle Fri, 09/13/2024 - 15:17

Cutline

The inaugural AcceleratorFest, organized by U of T Entrepreneurship, will include a startup showcase, panel discussion and tours of the ONRamp co-working and collaboration space (photo by Alyssa K Faoro)

Topic

Entrepreneurship Week

U of T Entrepreneurship

ONRamp

Subheadline

“With students back on campus, this is an opportunity to expose the internal entrepreneurial ecosystem to all the different accelerator programs we have at the university”

The new school year is typically associated with lectures, textbooks and study groups – but at the University of Toronto, students are also encouraged to think about how all that knowledge can be wielded to start game-changing companies that address important challenges, create jobs and foster innovation.

That’s one of the goals behind the inaugural AcceleratorFest, which takes place Sept. 18 at the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus.

Organized by U of T Entrepreneurship – which is ranked among the top five university business incubators in the world – AcceleratorFest offers a handy introduction to U of T’s thriving entrepreneurship scene.

“With students back on campus, this is an opportunity to expose the internal entrepreneurial ecosystem to all the different accelerator programs we have at the university,” says Jon French, director of U of T Entrepreneurship.

There are 12 campus-linked accelerators across the tri-campus, and the number of startups emerging from them continues to balloon – in 2019, U of T supported 380 entrepreneurial teams; last year, that number rose to nearly 1,000.

“This is one of the rare opportunities where we can bring staff, alumni, accelerator leads and companies to talk to the next generation of up-and-coming entrepreneurs about resources and tools and the different accelerators in a classic University of Toronto way,” French says.

AcceleratorFest features three key elements.

In classic trade show fashion, booths will be set up for attendees to chat informally with entrepreneurs about their startups.

Later in the afternoon, attendees can hear from Zain Zaidi, CEO of document verification and management startup Transcrypts, and Catherine Chan, founding CEO of clinical trials startup Honeybee (which was recently acquired by global clinical trials firm Leapcure), at the Desjardins Speaker Series.

Finally, an open house on the seventh floor of the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus will invite visitors to check out ONRamp, a co-working and collaboration space for U of T’s entrepreneurship community.

(photo by David Lee)

Registration to AcceleratorFest includes a raffle ticket, with potential to win some unique swag (think a MOTUS U of T hoodie or Nanoleaf smart bulb) and a ticket to one of the tech industry’s premier events, Elevate Festival.

French says he encourages everyone in the U of T community to check out the event, noting U of T Entrepreneurship has a “no-wrong-door philosophy” – no matter what you’re studying or where you are in your entrepreneurial journey, “there's a door that you can open in the entrepreneurial ecosystem and there are people and alumni and resources that can support you.”

AcceleratorFest is the first of several exciting entrepreneurship events on the calendar for the upcoming academic year. A key date to watch out for: Oct. 15, which is when applications for the Desjardins Startup Prize will open for companies vying to win $100,000 in non-dilutive funding.

The prize is one of the highlights of the annual U of T Entrepreneurship Week, which will take place March 3-7.

Add new author/reporter

Adam Elliott Segal

ONRamp

laurie.bulchak — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 01:42:22 +0000

ONRamp laurie.bulchak Thu, 07/25/2024 - 21:42

URL

https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/for-entrepreneurs/onramp-membership/

Five things to look forward to at Entrepreneurship Week 2024

rahul.kalvapalle — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 17:31:12 +0000

Five things to look forward to at Entrepreneurship Week 2024

rahul.kalvapalle Mon, 02/26/2024 - 12:31

Cutline

U of T’s annual Entrepreneurship Week takes place March 4 to 7 and features more than 15 events across U of T’s three campuses, including pitch competitions, startup showcases, keynote speeches, workshops and panel discussions (supplied image)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

Entrepreneurship Week

U of T Entrepreneurship

Innovation & Entrepreneurship

The University of Toronto is gearing up for its annual tri-campus Entrepreneurship Week, a four-day showcase of U of T’s diverse and extensive entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Taking place from March 4 to 7, Entrepreneurship Week features more than 15 events across U of T’s three campuses, including pitch competitions, startup showcases, keynote speeches, workshops, panel discussions and more.

All events are free and open to students, entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders and anyone else interested in learning about – and being inspired by – the startups, founders and research-based entrepreneurship ecosystem that have made U of T one of the top five university startup incubators in the world.

“There is no wrong door for the entrepreneurs in our community. Regardless of what and where you study or how far along you are on your journey, there is a place for you,” says Jon French, director of U of T Entrepreneurship. “This week is an opportunity to showcase the calibre of our talented founders and the breadth and depth of opportunities we can offer over 600 teams annually.”

Here are some of the key events and themes for the upcoming edition of U of T’s annual celebration of all things entrepreneurship:

Watch startups compete for funding and prizes

U of T Entrepreneurship’s marquee business pitch competition is the Desjardins Startup Prize, which will see startups and their founders vie for more than $100,000 in cash prizes.

This year’s shortlist includes companies that are innovating across an array of important areas including neurodegenerative disease treatments, greenhouse gas monitoring, oral hygiene and AI chatbots. The competition, which is split into early-stage and later-stage startup categories, will take place during True Blue Impact Day on March 7.

On March 6, U of T Mississauga’s ICUBE accelerator will host Pitch with a Twist, an annual pitch competition for women entrepreneurs that is judged by an all-women panel. The event, which marks the lead-up to International Women’s Day on March 8, will also feature a keynote address by Catherine Addai, founder of the women’s clothing company Kaela Kay.

Hear from entrepreneur-investor power couple Eva and Allen Lau

(photo supplied)

This year’s Desjardins Speaker Series address will be delivered by Eva and Allen Lau, spouses who are both alumni, successful entrepreneurs and co-founders of Two Small Fish Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm.

In a keynote titled “School of Fish: Lessons Learned from Swimming Upstream,” the Laus will discuss an array of topics including the story of digital storytelling platform Wattpad – co-founded by Allen Lau, with Eva Lau as one of its founding members – from its inception in 2006 to its $600-million exit 15 years later.

The Laus will also offer their advice for early-stage founders, discuss the current investment climate and explore opportunities and challenges in the Canadian innovation ecosystem – including their thoughts on key industries and technologies such as AI, quantum computing and electric vehicles.

The hybrid event will take place on True Blue Impact Day on March 7.

Get inspired by leaders from underrepresented groups

U of T Entrepreneurship continues to celebrate and advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion in the entrepreneurship world through its Entrepreneurship Week programming.

At U of T Scarborough on March 5, attendees can take in an International Women’s Day panel discussion featuring Fennella Bruce, media consultant and founder of FKB Media Solutions, and Melanie Ratnam, founder of the researcher-focused software platform Indaggo and president the Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology. The event will also feature opportunities to network with women leaders and entrepreneurs.

Meanwhile, on the St. George campus, the second day of Entrepreneurship Week will feature the return of the popular Fireside at FemSTEM conversation series featuring special guest Yasaman Soudagar, co-founder and CEO of the neuroscience startup Neurescence who completed her PhD in experimental quantum optics at U of T and École Polytechnique in Montreal.

Another moderated conversation on March 7 will examine women who are transforming Canada’s music and arts landscape. The discussion, titled “I’m first cause I’m a L-A-D-I-E: Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Female Empowerment in Canada’s Hip Hop and Black Music Industries,” will feature: Tinesha Richards-Morris, director of 925 Agency Inc. and former managing director the arts and culture non-profit Manifesto; Annalie Bonda, label manager for independent record label Golly Geng Inc. and former executive director of arts training organization The Remix Project; and Keysha Freshh, a solo emcee and member of all-female hip-hop crew The Sorority. Audience members will have the chance to network with key figures in Canada’s music industry, learn how to navigate its barriers and discuss the role of gender in the Canadian music landscape.

Learn about mental wellness, stress management and how to deal with failure

This year’s Entrepreneurship Week will kick off with a keynote address and panel discussion on a critical but often overlooked topic in the world of entrepreneurship: stress management and mental wellness. The session will begin with a keynote from Lauren Brown, lead facilitator and program co-ordinator of mindfulness, meditation and yoga for U of T’s Division of Student Life, that will explore how entrepreneurs can harness their intuition and tackle stress. The keynote will be followed by a moderated discussion with a panel of founders.

Themes of wellness and resilience will also be explored during “Redefining the 'F-word’ (Failure, not the other one),” a fireside chat with U of T Scarborough's entrepreneur-in-residence Elina Chow and executive coach Matthew Fuller. The chat will include a candid exploration of failure in entrepreneurship.

Experience the new Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus

(photo by David Lee)

For the first time, this year’s Entrepreneurship Week will see several events hosted at U of T’s new Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus.

The result of a historic $100-million donation by Gerald Schwartz and Heather Reisman, the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus serves as a hub for entrepreneurship, innovation and advancement in AI and related fields.

The building’s west tower will serve as the anchor location of Entrepreneurship Week 2024, hosting events including the curtain-raiser on mental wellness on March 4 and the entire slate of events on True Blue Impact Day on March 7, including the Desjardins Startup Prize and Speaker Series as well as the True Blue Expo featuring more than 40 startups, 12 campus-linked accelerators and numerous community partners.

Learn more about U of T Entrepreneurship

Canada’s Walk of Fame Awards honour three luminaries with U of T ties

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 15:30:48 +0000

Canada’s Walk of Fame Awards honour three luminaries with U of T ties

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 02/03/2023 - 10:30

Cutline

Heather Reisman, James C. Temerty and the late Barbara Frum were honoured by Canada’s Walk of Fame Awards for outstanding contributions to literacy, philanthropy and journalism. (photo by George Pimentel/Canada’s Walk of Fame)

Advancement Staff

Topic

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society

Canada’s Walk of Fame Awards Celebration recently honoured 10 extraordinary Canadians for their contributions to music, television, journalism, athletics, innovation and entrepreneurship – including three with close ties to the University of Toronto.

The most recent inductees and honourees – feted at a Dec. 3, 2022 ceremony – included one of Canada’s most generous philanthropists, James C. (Jim) Temerty, who was introduced as the 2022 National Hero Honouree by U of T President Meric Gertler; Indigo founder and trailblazing benefactor Heather Reisman, who, along with her husband Gerry Schwartz, helped establish U of T’s Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society and Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus; and the late Barbara Frum, the iconic CBC broadcaster and U of T alumna.

“The University of Toronto is deeply proud to be associated with tonight’s inductees and honourees, who represent the best of what Canada has to offer the world,” said President Gertler. “We are grateful for their legacy and their friendship, and we hope to live up to the ideals they each represent, including the late Barbara Frum, one of our most illustrious graduates; Heather Reisman, a visionary donor at U of T and Canada’s leading champion for child literacy; and Jim Temerty, whose philanthropy across our university and beyond empowers ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.”

A letter from President Zelenskyy

James Temerty received the National Hero Honour (photo by George Pimentel/Canada’s Walk of Fame)

Jim Temerty was introduced by U of T alumna and founder of War Child Canada, Samantha Nutt, who completed post-graduated medical training at the university. She said, “his contributions have made a tremendous difference to thousands of lives.” Toronto Mayor John Tory, who earned a bachelor’s degree at Trinity College in 1975, also spoke via video of Temerty’s remarkable legacy: “Your generosity, your loyalty, your business sense, and your immense compassion all constitute an example, a role model for everyone in this country.”

President Gertler then joined Ukraine’s Ambassador to Canada, Yuliya Kovaliv, onstage to thank Jim Temerty and the Temerty Foundation for years of transformative giving. Their legacy includes a $250-million gift in 2020 to the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine and other donations across U of T, Canada and the world – from supporting arts and culture, mental health research and many causes in Ukraine.

In her remarks, Ambassador Kovaliv read a letter from Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who heralded Jim Temerty for his “commitment to freedom, independence and democracy” and “tireless effort to strengthen Ukraine’s statehood, to drive positive changes in my country, and to support the people of Ukraine.”

“We all are fighting now and we are writing the new book about the fight for values, fight for democracy,” added Ambassador Kovaliv. “And we are really grateful, James, that you are with us writing this book.”

On receiving the National Hero Honour, Jim Temerty thanked Mayor Tory, President Gertler, Ambassador Kovaliv and President Zelenksyy, using the opportunity to reflect on how Canada has stood – and must continue to stand – “with Ukraine until a just peace” can be achieved.

“Let us not tire in our support for Ukraine’s fight for freedom. Slava to Canada and Slava Ukraine,” said Temerty.

An icon in child literacy and philanthropy

Heather Reisman was honoured for her contributions to child literacy, business and philanthropy (photo by George Pimentel/Canada’s Walk of Fame)

This year’s celebration saw a friend and leading supporter of U of T, Heather Reisman, inducted into the Walk of Fame for her extraordinary contributions to Canadian child literacy, business and philanthropy. As the founder, chair and CEO of Indigo, Reisman is one of Canada’s strongest advocates for inculcating a love of reading among children and established the Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation in 2017 to further this goal.

As a philanthropist, her legacy of giving spans institutions and causes across the country in education, health care and advanced research. Heather Reisman and Gerry Schwartz established the U of T’s Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society and Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus, which, when it opens, will be Canada’s leading hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. Reisman and her husband have also generously supported research and education at U of T across several fields and faculties.

Reisman was introduced by Ontario’s first Poet Laureate, Randell Adjei, and one of Canada’s most important writers, U of T alumna Margaret Atwood. Atwood, who earned a bachelor’s degree at Victoria College in 1961 and received an honorary degree from U of T in 1983, spoke about how Reisman “helped to give innumerable children the gift of literacy, the opportunity to find their own special stories, the ones that validate them by mirroring their world back to them.”

“It is within our reach to unleash huge childhood untapped potential,” said Reisman on accepting her induction into Canada’s Walk of Fame, “and in the process transform the social and economic reality of this country forever.”

Broadcast legend and U of T alumna honoured

U of T alumna Barbara Frum was honoured for her legacy as one of Canada’s most insightful journalists and interviewers (photo by George Pimentel/Canada’s Walk of Fame)

Famed CBC broadcaster Barbara Frum, who died in 1992 at age 54, was inducted for her legacy as one of Canada’s most insightful journalists and interviewers. Frum, who graduated from U of T’s University College with a BA in 1959, joined CBC as host of the radio program As it Happens before becoming the host of CBC Television’s The Journal, where she interviewed influential figures such as Margaret Thatcher and Nelson Mandela. She was represented at the celebration by her two children, David Frum and Linda Frum.

Frum was honoured by the former host of CBC TV’s The National, Peter Mansbridge, who received an honorary degree from U of T in 2017. “Her secret was simple,” said Mansbridge. “She listened. She didn’t tell us who we were. She asked us and we told her.” Mansbridge was joined via video by prominent Canadian business journalist Amanda Lang and former host of the CTV National News Lisa LaFlamme, who spoke about how Frum “was the epitome of grilling with grace and always respectful decency. Even in a tough interview, she never lost her cool, even confronted with the dinosaurs of her day.”

“In her mind, the only star was the truth,” said Frum’s son, David, who, along with Linda Frum, accepted Frum’s honour on his mother’s behalf. “And that’s why all these years later, we gather at Canada’s Walk of Fame to award her the star that she would never have taken for herself.”

Who owns your face? Scholars at U of T's Schwartz Reisman Institute explore tech's thorniest questions

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 13:30:46 +0000

Who owns your face? Scholars at U of T's Schwartz Reisman Institute explore tech's thorniest questions

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 11/03/2022 - 09:30

Cutline

Who owns the data generated by facial recognition tools? Can AI help cities budget more fairly? These are the types of questions being tackled by experts at U of T's Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society (photo by Weiquan Lin/Getty Images)

Tina Adamopoulos

Topic

Institutional Strategic Initiatives

Groundbreakers

Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society

Computer Science

Faculty of Law

Political Science

Research & Innovation

There are no easy answers when it comes to protecting people’s rights in the digital domain.

Take, for example, your face. Clearly, it belongs to you. But that’s not necessarily the case when you use it to unlock your smartphone or post an image of it on social media – in both instances your likeness is transformed by a third party into a stream of data.

Wendy Wong

“Right now, we really don’t have a lot of agency over our data, even though it stems from really mundane activities,” says Wendy H. Wong, a professor of political science in the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Arts & Science and a faculty affiliate at the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society.

“It is generated about you, but you don’t actually create that data yourself.”

The Canada Research Chair in Global Governance and Civil Society, Wong is working to bridge the divide between rapid technological innovation and society’s capacity to develop rules and regulations to govern it.

She is exploring how challenges in governing data and artificial intelligence are forcing us to re-examine our perspective on human rights. Called “Human Rights in the Digital Era,” Wong’s project – one of the major research projects underway at the Institute – looks at how the proliferation of data has fundamentally changed what it means to be human, how we relate to one another, and what it means to have rights in the digital era.

An Institutional Strategic Initiative (ISI) that launched in 2019, the Schwartz Reisman Institute’s mission is to ask critical questions and generate deep knowledge about the increasingly important – and potentially fraught – relationship between technologies and societies by fostering research-based collaborations between computer scientists, social scientists and humanists. It’s supported by a historic $100 million donation to U of T from Gerald Schwartz and Heather Reisman – a gift that is also underpinning construction of Canada’s largest university-based innovation hub: the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus.

“Toronto is home to some of the key innovations that have powered the explosion of AI over the last decade,” says Gillian Hadfield, the institute’s director and a professor in the Faculty of Law who is the Schwartz Reisman Chair in Technology and Society and was recently named a CIFAR AI Chair. “This generates the capacity for expertise and collaborations for people interested in solving problems.”

“The Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society can play a great role in helping grow the vibrancy of the community and the potential for Canada to grow such technology.”

Who owns your face?

In the case of facial recognition tools, Wong says the rapid growth and adoption of the technology by everyone from smartphone-makers to police departments is raising important questions about ownership and privacy, and how personal aspects of our lives – such as our faces – can be taken from us as data, without our knowledge.

Gillian Hadfield

For example, Canada’s privacy commissioner said in 2021 that the RCMP had violated the Privacy Act by using the services of Clearview AI, a U.S.-based facial recognition company. In an earlier decision, it also found Clearview in violation of privacy laws after it collected three billion pictures of Canadians, without their consent, from websites for criminal justice purposes.

Writing about the decision in the Globe and Mail last year, Wong noted that there is no definite answer as to who owns the data generated by our faces, making international human rights frameworks a vital touchstone in guiding the future of this space.

Can we ever properly consent to having our faces made into data? In the best of times, consent is a challenge to define,” Wong wrote. “In the age of datafication, it has become almost impossible to take someone’s ‘consent’ as meaningful.”

As technologies push against questions about human rights, there is still a lot to learn in understanding what it means to be human in the digital era.

Part of this includes challenging what we used to take as fact – like ownership of our faces – especially when it is impossible to opt-out of using anything digital, Wong says.

Human rights on social media – who makes them?

Another thorny issue, says Wong, is how freedom of expression is being regulated by the
Big Tech companies that encourage users to scroll through countless hours of social media on their platforms.

Traditionally, human rights – including freedom of expression – govern relationships between states and people. As a result, Wong says existing human rights frameworks are insufficient to oversee tech giants and their platforms, which straddle both the private and public spheres.

Wong notes, however, that corporations such as Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, employ their own community standards and have made attempts to self-regulate. Meta’s Oversight Board, for one, is an independent body that evaluates decisions made by the company to remove or keep problematic content and profiles on Instagram and Facebook.

The Global Network Initiative, a non-governmental organization spearheaded by technology companies and academics, is another effort grappling with questions about how corporations should protect values like freedom of expression and privacy.

Wong says she plans to further explore the global impact of these and other bodies – both through her work at the institute and in her forthcoming book with MIT Press.

Empowering communities through algorithmic fairness

While technological advancement has created many new questions, it also promises to provide answers to many longstanding problems.

Nisarg Shah

Nisarg Shah, an assistant professor in the department of computer science in the Faculty of Arts & Science, is designing new approaches for balloting, fairness considerations and allocation rules to explore how AI technologies can be used for participatory budgeting – a democratic process that empowers residents to control how public funds should be used in their communities.

“When people talk about algorithmic fairness, they think about technology making decisions for people,” says Shah, who is one of four U of T faculty members, awarded with an inaugural Schwartz Reisman Fellowship.

“Sometimes, algorithms make mistakes, and the question is whether they might impact some communities more than others.”

A participatory budget model starts with community consultations, followed by various rounds of discussing community proposals on how much of the public budget should be allocated to each project. Finally, residents vote for their choice, which is then aggregated into a final budget.

Shah designed approaches centered around identifying avenues to elicit people’s preferences and ensure a fair allocation of the budget with respect to their needs. This included participatory budget models based on happiness derived from a project or based on the cost of implementation.

Consider a hypothetical example outlined in Participatory Budgeting: Models and Approaches. 3,000 residents vote on allocating a $7 million budget to four projects: A and B (each cost $3 million), C (cost of $2 million) and D (cost of $2 million). Two thousand residents like only projects A and B, 500 like only C, and the remaining 500 like only D. In this example, projects A and B could be implemented, which would make 2,000 residents “very happy” but the rest “very unhappy.” Or, one of projects A and B could get the green light together with both projects C and D. This would make 2,000 residents “partially happy” and 1,000 residents “very happy.” What would be the fair choice?

Toronto piloted participatory budgeting from 2015 to 2017 in Scarborough and North York. Overall, the pilot study found that residents wanted more input on infrastructure projects and more opportunities to consult city staff on various issues. However, it found participatory budgeting was also resource-intensive and could result in divisions in communities.

As Shah continues to develop fair approaches to participatory budgeting, he’ll also explore how proportional representation, which ensures each neighborhood gets an adequate amount of representation – be it monetary or political – commensurate with the people living there, can help curb another issue known as political gerrymandering – when boundaries of electoral districts are altered for political advantage, giving some communities more voting rights than others.

Investing in the future

As researchers at the Schwartz Reisman Institute navigate the promise and pitfalls of existing technologies for society, Hadfield says SRI is simultaneously investing in initiatives that aim to influence the direction of future technological development.

In an effort to promote responsible, ethics-based AI technologies, SRI partnered with the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) at the Rotman School of Management last summer to provide mentorship and support to startups in the incubator’s AI stream. This includes Private AI, which protects privacy by developing AI software that erases personal data from text, images and video, and Armilla AI, an AI governance platform enabling algorithmic accountability.

The Schwartz Reisman Institute also ran a one-day workshop with the Business Development Corporation of Canada (BDC), which provides business loans to small and medium Canadian enterprises, and hosted panels with government regulators, regulatory technology providers and SRI researchers to connect about establishing a fair, responsible Canadian AI industry.

With regulatory transformation a strategic goal at SRI – and a focus of Hadfield’s current research – SRI will partner with governments, civil society organizations and other institutions to offer new ideas about regulatory frameworks to guide digital transformation.

This article is part of a multimedia series about U of T's Institutional Strategic Initiatives program – which seeks to make life-changing advancements in everything from infectious diseases to social justice – and the research community that's driving it.

Toronto’s tech boom bolstered by universities, immigration: Netherlands' Het Financieele Dagblad

rahul.kalvapalle — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 17:40:16 +0000

Toronto’s tech boom bolstered by universities, immigration: Netherlands' Het Financieele Dagblad

rahul.kalvapalle Mon, 08/22/2022 - 13:40

Cutline

(Photo by Brxxto via Unsplash)

Topic

Global Lens

Deep Learning

Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Geoffrey Hinton

Startups

Vector Institute

Toronto has established itself as one of the world’s premier tech hubs, with the University of Toronto making key contributions to an innovation ecosystem that is flush with talent and welcoming to startups and tech giants alike, according to a leading Dutch financial newspaper.

The feature article in Het Financieele Dagblad, or FD, explores the strengths of Toronto’s tech scene and echoes observations made earlier this year by the New York Times. “Many people who have lived in Toronto for years feel a confidence in the city that wasn’t there five or six years ago,” Jon French, director of U of T Entrepreneurship, tells the paper (according to a translation).

That growing confidence, FD reports, is exemplified by tech entrepreneurs increasingly choosing to stay in Toronto – attracted by the city’s livability, diversity and talent pool – rather than move to Silicon Valley. "When I studied in Toronto, about 10 years ago, there was a perception that you had to go to California or New York to make a career," Nick Frosst, co-founder of AI language processing startup Cohere, told FD. “I hardly hear that myth anymore. Fellow students who have stayed in Canada have built just as good careers as those who left for the U.S.”

FD highlights the seminal contributions of University Professor Emeritus Geoffrey Hinton in helping build Toronto’s status as a tech hub, through both his pioneering deep learning research and co-founding of the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence. It also cites the upcoming Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus as an example of how institutions like U of T are fueling Toronto’s tech boom.

The newspaper also notes how the influx of tech giants like Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta to Toronto is leading to a “brain gain” as global tech talent pours into the region, aided by Canada’s liberal immigration policies.

Read the feature in FD (registration required, in Dutch)

Toronto 'quietly' experiences massive tech boom: The New York Times

rahul.kalvapalle — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 17:48:26 +0000

Toronto 'quietly' experiences massive tech boom: The New York Times

rahul.kalvapalle Mon, 03/21/2022 - 13:48

Cutline

The Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus, a planned AI and biotech hub that's depicted at the lower left of the image, is yet another example of how U of T is supporting Toronto's rapidly expanding tech sector (rendering courtesy of Weiss/Manfredi)

Topic

City & Culture

Alumni

Computer Science

Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Startups

Vector Institute

Researchers, entrepreneurs and workforce-ready graduates from the University of Toronto and other post-secondary institutions are playing a key role in fueling and sustaining Toronto’s technology boom, the New York Times reports.

In a feature story that explores the evolution of Toronto’s tech sector, the U.S. paper focuses on the evolution of thriving innovation ecosystem that has convinced big tech giants – from Microsoft to Amazon – to set up local offices and vie for top talent alongside scores of flourishing Canadian startups.

“Thanks to years of investment from local universities, government agencies and business leaders and Canada’s liberal immigration policies, Toronto is now the third-largest tech hub in North America,” technology correspondent Cade Metz writes. “It is home to more tech workers than Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle and Washington, D.C., trailing only New York and Silicon Valley, according to CBRE, a real estate company that tracks tech hiring.

“Toronto’s tech work force is also growing at a faster clip than any hub in the United States.”

Discussions about the growth of Toronto’s tech scene inevitably reference the seminal contributions of U of T University Professor Emeritus Geoffrey Hinton, “whose research set in motion the recent boom in artificial intelligence,” notes the Times. The article also highlights the role of a younger generation of AI pioneers such as Professor Raquel Urtasun, founder of self-driving technology startup Waabi, and Hinton protégés Aidan Gomez and Nick Frosst, co-founders of AI language processing startup Cohere.

The article goes on to cite the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence and the upcoming Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus – an AI and biotech hub made possible by a $100-million gift from Gerald Schwartz and Heather Reisman – as examples of how institutions like U of T are nurturing Toronto’s thriving tech ecosystem.

Read the story in The New York Times

Which U of T campus is best for you? A quick look at what makes each one unique

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 13 Aug 2021 18:16:50 +0000

Which U of T campus is best for you? A quick look at what makes each one unique

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 08/13/2021 - 14:16

Cutline

U of T's three campuses boast many unique attributes – from U of T Mississauga's natural setting to St. George's historic architecture and U of T Scarborough's world-class facilities (photos by Nick Iwanyshyn, U of T Staff and Ken Jones)

Yanan Wang

Topic

Soldiers' Tower

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Hart House

MaRS

St. George

Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre

U of T Mississauga

U of T Scarborough

Undergraduate Students

When students apply to the University of Toronto, it can often be difficult to choose between the three campuses: St. George, U of T Mississauga and U of T Scarborough – all of which boast the university’s globally-recognized academic excellence and exceptional employment outcomes.

Yet, when it comes to factors such as location, program offerings and campus culture – even the likelihood of a deer sighting – there is much that sets one campus apart from another.

Here is a quick rundown of some of the attributes that make each U of T campus unique, and how some students made their decision.

St. George

(Photo by University of Toronto)

Situated in the heart of downtown Toronto, the St. George campus is steeped in U of T’s nearly 200-year-old-history.

Harry Potter fans will feel right at home amid the Gothic Revival-style architecture, characterized by tall, sloping arches, relief sculptures and steep-gabled roofs of many of the buildings that dot the campus, particularly near King’s College Circle. While there’s no magical sorting hat, undergraduate students in the Faculty of Arts & Science belong to one of seven colleges, each housing a unique community with its own slate of academic and extracurricular offerings.

Students at St. George can walk along Hoskin Avenue, which features Hart House, a hub of student activity, and Soldiers’ Tower, a bell and clock tower that pays tribute to university community members who perished in the First World War. Condé Nast Traveler has named the avenue one of the most beautiful places in Canada.

For Norah Rahman, U of T’s distinct buildings were a fixture in her life long before she decided to enrol a life sciences program this coming fall. Since she was 10 years old, she says she has attended lecture series hosted by local Muslim organizations in U of T classrooms.

(Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

“I was actually able to experience the campus as if I were taking classes there, and I loved the environment,” Rahman says.

Hailing from North York, Rahman says she was also drawn to the vibrancy of neighbourhoods downtown.

“Ever since I was in the ninth or tenth grade and I was allowed to go places by myself, I always gravitated towards going downtown,” Rahman says. “There’s something about the hustle and bustle and the opportunity to try different things, to eat different things. I’m kind of a foodie.”

The downtown campus is within walking distance of a wide range of city attractions, including Queens Park, the Royal Ontario Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario – not to mention shopping, restaurants, Kensington Market and professional sports venues. Aspiring thespians can also take advantage of the neighbouring Theatre District.

The St. George campus, not surprisingly, also boasts state-of-the-art research facilities, close connections to local research hospitals, several entrepreneurship hubs and will soon be home to the new Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus, which will be directly across the street from the MaRS Discovery District.

Isaiah Gardner, who is about to begin his first year as a student in the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, says he chose St. George because it is the only campus that offers a bachelor’s of kinesiology degree. While at U of T, he will also run for the Varsity Blues in track and field.

Gardner says he fell in love with the team during a track meet in 2019, when he ran along the blue track at the Varsity Centre with the CN Tower in the background.

“I wanted to live downtown in the energy and life that radiated from Toronto,” he says.

U of T Mississauga

(Photo by Randy Landicho)

For nature lovers, U of T Mississauga is hard to beat.

The bucolic campus is set on 225 acres of protected greenbelt along the Credit River, which is home to a variety of wildlife – from the great blue heron to the Jefferson salamander. And, since 2017, tens of thousands of honeybees have lived on the roof of U of T Mississauga’s Instructional Centre, producing honey for campus kitchens and other initiatives.

Deer are particularly beloved members of the U of T Mississauga community.

The antics of the deer on campus are closely monitored by students and faculty alike, as evidenced by a Twitter account dedicated to the animals. One deer by the name of “Hartley Fawn” even got its own ID card.

(Photo by University of Toronto Mississauga)

“U of T Mississauga has a very relaxed atmosphere because it’s a bit secluded,” says Fatima Azahraa Al Saadie, a recent graduate who was recognized as the top undergraduate student across U of T’s three campuses.

“Any time I felt overwhelmed or stressed, I’d just go outside, take a deep breath and appreciate the natural environment. Seeing a deer or two on campus is a bonus!”

Al Saadie added that she appreciated the smaller classes at U of T Mississauga, where the largest max out around 500 students. The relatively small campus helped ease the transition from high school to university, Al Saadi says.

(Photo by Drew Lesiuczok)

Sustainability is a key theme at U of T Mississauga. Among the campus’s landmarks is Maanjiwe nendamowinan, a recently built six-storey building that boasts rainwater recycling, green roof space and a name that was chosen in collaboration with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, on whose traditional territory the campus now stands. U of T Mississauga also has the distinction of being Canada’s first Silver Fair Trade Campus, with fair trade coffees, teas and chocolate bars sold throughout.

The diverse food choices don’t stop there: U of T Mississauga was also the first university campus in Canada to host a certified gluten-free food station.

U of T Mississauga is renowned for its forensic science program, which is the oldest in the country. The program’s faculty include a forensic anthropologist, a lawyer and a police officer who have worked on some of Canada’s most high-profile criminal cases. There is even a “crime scene house” where students can perfect techniques for blood splatter analysis and fingerprinting. The campus is also the principal home of U of T’s biomedical communications program – the only one of its kind in Canada and one of the largest in North America – as well as Jessica Burgner-Kahrs’s Continuum Robotics Lab, where researchers are building slender, snake-like next-generation machines for surgical and other applications.

The campus benefits from its strategic location in the city of Mississauga, which is the home base for more than 60 of Canada’s Fortune 500 companies and is a short drive to the Toronto region’s main international airport.

There’s even a free shuttle bus that whisks students to and from the St. George campus, although service was temporarily suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic.

U of T Scarborough

(Photo by Randy Landicho)

Located in Toronto’s vibrant east end, U of T Scarborough’s Brutalist architecture has the honour of being the backdrop of a The Weeknd music video – as well as numerous movies and television shows – and a parody Instagram account @UofTDrizzy that is followed by Drake himself.

The superstar rapper is also a fan of Scarborough’s culinary offerings. As one of the most multicultural communities in the Greater Toronto Area, the neighbourhood’s eclectic food options are in abundance. From halal restaurants to East Asian comfort food to stuffed patties recommended by Drake, culinary adventures are always around the corner in Scarborough.

Not to be outdone on the nature front, the U of T Scarborough campus sits on 300 acres of lush green parkland, with a system of trails showcasing the splendor of the Highland Creek Valley.

(Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

“I saw that there was this beautiful trail in the campus, and since I’m an outdoor person I’ll probably be there every day,” says Emeka Okolo, an incoming life sciences student from Oshawa who will be living in residence.

An avid football player, Okolo is also looking forward to finding a gym buddy. U of T Scarborough boasts the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre, a sprawling athletics facility that hosted diving, fencing and swimming and other competitions during the 2015 Pan American Games. In 2017, former U.S. President Barack Obama and current President Joe Biden joined Prince Harry at the centre for the Invictus Games, an international sporting event for wounded military servicepeople.

The campus is one that aims to reflect the diversity of the Toronto region in which it operates, as evidenced by its strategic vision: Inspiring Inclusive Excellence. It is also playing an important role in promoting equity, diversity and inclusion well beyond U of T. To take one recent example: Wisdom Tettey, vice-president and principal of U of T Scarborough, played a key role in helping to co-ordinate the National Dialogues and Action for Inclusive Higher Education and Communities, which brought together colleges and universities across the country to address anti-Black racism.

(Photo by Ken Jones)

When it comes to academic programs, U of T Scarborough has the distinction of being the university’s co-op campus, with co-op programs offered in over 80 programs across the arts, science and management disciplines. The curricula combine U of T’s hallmark academic excellence with eight to 12 months of paid full-time work or research experience during your degree – giving graduates a precious leg up in the job market.

U of T Scarborough also has plentiful resources for budding entrepreneurs (as do all three U of T campuses). The campus’s startup incubator, The Hub, has helped students and recent alumni launch more than 150 businesses. Meanwhile, the next generation of corporate innovators can hone their skills at The BRIDGE, a business research space complete with an advanced trading lab and state-of-the art boardroom.

At the height of the pandemic, when few employers were hiring, Melody Bagaa, who graduated in 2020, told U of T News she harnessed the practical experience she gained through U of T Scarborough’s co-op program and other employment-focused resources to land a finance job that she loved.

Heather Reisman, business leader, philanthropist and champion of literacy, receives honorary degree

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 14:56:04 +0000

Heather Reisman, business leader, philanthropist and champion of literacy, receives honorary degree Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 06/15/2021 - 10:56

Scott Anderson

Topic

Convocation 2021