ITS
Information Technology Services
ITS
Information Technology Services
Our weekly SRI Seminar Series welcomes SRI Research Lead Beth Coleman, associate professor of data and cities at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Communication, Culture, Information and Technology and Faculty of Information. Working in the disciplines of science and technology studies, generative aesthetics, and Black poesis, her research focuses on smart technology & machine learning, urban data, and civic engagement, and generative arts.
In this talk, Coleman will explore the significance of trust in the interactions between humans and machine learning systems, including how trust influences user adoption, ethical considerations, and the societal impact of emerging technologies.
Moderator: Shion Guha
“Building trust in AI: A multi-disciplinary approach to a key paradigm”
Trust is paramount for the responsible deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) in all sectors. Understanding how trust is built between groups of people, institutions, and technologies is essential for thinking about how AI systems can be built to reliably address human needs while mitigating risks. Aligned with international regulatory calls for “trustworthy” and “transparent” AI, this talk will address disciplinary dimensions of trust in human-machine learning interaction. Based on a forthcoming paper from the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society on human-machine learning interaction, the talk highlights that trust in AI systems is multifaceted, encompassing not only the perceived legitimacy of system outputs but also the trustworthiness of the developer, the deploying institution, and the administrators managing its use. Drawing on these findings and others, the talk explores the contextual and institutional nature of trust-building in AI systems across these key areas:
Beth Coleman is associate professor of data and cities at the Institute of Communication, Culture, Information and Technology and Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto. Working in the disciplines of science and technology studies, generative aesthetics, and Black poesis, her research focuses on smart technology & machine learning, urban data, and civic engagement, and generative arts. She is the author of Hello Avatar (MIT Press, 2011) and multiple articles, including “Race as Technology.”
Coleman is a senior visiting researcher with Google Brain and Responsible AI as well as a 2021 Google Artists and Machines Intelligence awardee. She is a founding member of the Trusted Data Sharing group, a research lead on AI policy and praxis at U of T’s Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology & Society, and director of U of T’s Knowledge Media Design Institute. Her past research affiliations include the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, Harvard University; Microsoft Research New England; Data & Society Institute, New York; and expert consultant for the European Commission Digital Futures. Coleman served as the founding director of U of T’s Black Research Network Institute Strategic Initiative.
Coleman’s most recent book and exhibition, Reality Was Whatever Happened: Octavia Butler AI and Other Possible Worlds, was published as a monograph by K Verlag, Berlin. She is currently working on a new monograph, AI in the World: Perils and Possibilities of a General Purpose Technology.
To register for the event, visit the official event page.
The SRI Seminar Series brings together the Schwartz Reisman community and beyond for a robust exchange of ideas that advance scholarship at the intersection of technology and society. Seminars are led by a leading or emerging scholar and feature extensive discussion.
Each week, a featured speaker will present for 45 minutes, followed by an open discussion. Registered attendees will be emailed a Zoom link before the event begins. The event will be recorded and posted online.
