Information Technology Services (ITS)

Behind the scenes of a live broadcast: ITS supports Geoffrey Hinton event

Published on: June 9, 2025

With University Professor emeritus Geoffrey Hinton’s recognition as a Nobel Prize winner, he has been a prominent presence at several events across the University of Toronto. A recent appearance on April 10 brought him to Hart House, where he sat down with U of T President-designate Melanie Woodin for a candid discussion about the unpredictable nature of academic life. More than 14,000 prospective students across 87 countries were able to tune in live thanks to the careful technical coordination happening behind the scenes.

The event aimed to reassure prospective students that, while their undergraduate journeys may feel chaotic or uncertain, such experiences can ultimately lead to growth, discovery and success. Driven by a quest to understand how the mind works, Hinton explained that he switched his field of study numerous times—from physiology to philosophy to psychology to carpentry—before finally landing on AI.

“I always believed that we had to understand how the brain worked to understand how the mind works,” reflected Hinton. “Maybe AI would be the place I would understand how the mind worked because they could actually build things… We could actually build little minds.”

Though the event was centered on reflection and advice for incoming students, it also illustrated the essential role of cross-campus collaboration. The Information Technology Services team helped ensure that Hart House was fully equipped, on an IT and cyber security level, to host a live YouTube broadcast to thousands of viewers worldwide. This support, coupled with coordination from U of T’s Communications team, ensured that the high-profile discussion was securely and effectively livestreamed, demonstrating how thoughtful collaboration makes these moments possible.

“We were proud to support such an impactful event—one that aligns so closely to our work,” says Deyves Fonseca, Acting Chief Information Security Officer. “Events like this show how critical our behind-the-scenes work is in helping U of T connect with the world.”

With expert planning and behind-the-scenes coordination, the event was a success—highlighting the wisdom of two distinguished academic leaders and the teamwork required to share that conversation with a global audience.

Watch the full event recording: https://www.utoronto.ca/news/follow-your-curiosity-geoffrey-hinton-offers-three-tips-incoming-students.