What Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society does

The Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society (SRI) is an academic research institute at the University of Toronto founded in 2019 to ensure that powerful technologies, especially AI, are developed and deployed responsibly. SRI is funded through institutional university support, competitive grants, and private philanthropy from founding donors Gerald Schwartz and Heather Reisman, and operates from the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus in Toronto. It does not develop commercial products and does not charge for its research outputs, events, fellowships, or policy briefs; all public programming is provided at no cost. The institute is organized into two interconnected programs — a Research Stream and a Solutions Stream — and maintains a network of graduate fellows (up to 15 per cohort, ~100+ cumulatively), faculty affiliates, global fellows and scholars-in-residence hosted at Massey College, and a set of monthly working groups (AI Safety, Privacy, AI & Trust with 70+ international members).

SRI's substantive outputs include the Absolutely Interdisciplinary annual conference (sixth edition in 2026), the Embedded Ethics Education Initiative (E3I) — a joint project with U of T's Department of Computer Science and Department of Philosophy that has reached over 10,000 undergraduate CS students — and the Algorithmic Bias in Canada project partnered with the Centre for Ethics, CRÉ, Chiefs of Ontario, and TELUS. Technical research lines include AI agent safety, LLM evaluation, multimodal fairness, and autonomous-agent governance, with publications led by researchers such as Geoffrey Hinton, Nicolas Papernot, Beth Coleman, Karina Vold, and David Duvenaud. Director David Lie and Chair Duvenaud were appointed to Canada's Safe and Secure AI Advisory Group, giving SRI direct influence on federal AI policy and the Canadian AI Safety Institute.

The institute's customer segments are academic researchers, government and policy actors, industry and civil society organizations, and undergraduate CS students reached through E3I. Its primary “customers” in a funding sense are its philanthropic founders and granting agencies — a high-concentration revenue base for a nonprofit. Distribution is largely free and open: weekly seminars, public white papers, policy briefs, working groups, and a YouTube archive. Revenue and budget figures are not publicly disclosed, but operational scope is consistent with a mid-sized endowed research institute.

Name

Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society

Legal name

Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society

Website

https://srinstitute.utoronto.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society is a University of Toronto research institute that investigates AI safety, governance, and ethics through interdisciplinary research, policy work, graduate fellowships, and the Embedded Ethics Education Initiative, supported by founding donors Gerald Schwartz and Heather Reisman.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Institutional funding and grants: The institute operates as a University of Toronto research institute supported by institutional funding, government grants, and private philanthropy. Research activities are funded through competitive grant programs and donations from founding donors Gerald Schwartz and Heather Reisman.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society (SRI) is a University of Toronto academic research institute that convenes interdisciplinary scholarship across computer science, philosophy, law, political science, economics, and psychology to investigate how powerful technologies like AI interact with society. It operates a Research Stream producing interdisciplinary scholarship and a Solutions Stream developing actionable governance and policy outcomes, alongside fellowship programs, the Embedded Ethics Education Initiative (E3I), and convening platforms such as the Absolutely Interdisciplinary annual conference, AI & Trust Working Group, and AI Safety and Privacy Discussion Groups.

Product overview

The Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society is a research institute (not a product company) operating through two main branches: a Research Stream investigating technology-society interactions, and a Solutions Stream developing actionable policy and governance outcomes. The institute offers fellowship programs for graduate students and faculty, hosts discussion groups on AI safety and privacy, runs weekly seminar series and an annual conference (Absolutely Interdisciplinary), and produces white papers and policy briefs on AI ethics and governance. Key programs include the Embedded Ethics Education Initiative (E3I), the AI & Trust Working Group, and the Algorithmic Bias in Canada project. The institute does not develop commercial AI products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Stream An interdisciplinary research program overseen by highly experienced scholars across computer science, philosophy, political science, economics, and law that investigates how technology, systems, and society interact, examining the nature of information, human norms and values, and dynamics between technology and culture. Targeted at academic researchers, policymakers, and the broader public.
• Solutions Stream Program that develops concrete, actionable outcomes for policy and governance contexts, addressing building safe, responsible, and inclusive technologies for industry, government, and civil society. Targeted at industry, government, and civil society leaders.
• Graduate Fellowships Program Program supporting up to 15 graduate fellows per cycle from University of Toronto across all three campuses to contribute to interdisciplinary research on ethical AI, data privacy, data governance, epistemology, and human rights. Targeted at University of Toronto graduate students.
• Faculty Affiliate Program Program expanding the institute's community expertise in technology and society, where faculty affiliates participate in research exchanges, seminars, and institutional activities, with impact amplified through partners and communications channels. Targeted at University of Toronto faculty.
• Global Fellow Program International scholar visiting program providing room, board, and financial support for research at University of Toronto's Massey College, with engagement through weekly seminars and annual conferences. Targeted at international researchers in technology and society.
• Scholar-in-Residence Program Local or national scholar visiting program providing office and financial support for research at Massey College, with engagement opportunities including seminars and research activities. Targeted at Canadian and visiting scholars.
• Embedded Ethics Education Initiative (E3I) Collaborative educational initiative with the U of T Departments of Computer Science and Philosophy that creates educational modules embedded in undergraduate CS courses to connect technical computing concepts with ethical considerations. As of 2025, reached over 10,000 students.
• AI Safety Discussion Group Monthly joint Vector/SRI AI Safety discussion group examining task specification, robustness, fairness, interpretability, verification, and regulation in AI systems. Targeted at AI safety researchers.
• Privacy Discussion Group Monthly interdisciplinary forum on emerging privacy issues including data governance, facial recognition, privacy in AI/ML, and data for social good. Targeted at privacy and AI researchers.
• Absolutely Interdisciplinary Annual Conference SRI's flagship annual academic conference convening international researchers to advance cross-disciplinary approaches to AI governance, risk, and safety, held at the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus. Targeted at academic researchers, students, and professionals.
• SRI Seminar Series Weekly seminar series featuring leading and emerging scholars presenting research at the intersection of technology and society, with recordings available online. Targeted at academic researchers, students, and the public.
• AI & Trust Working Group Multinational, transdisciplinary research initiative bringing together over 70 international researchers, policymakers, industry leaders, and civil society actors to develop robust frameworks for AI and trust. Targeted at international researchers, policymakers, industry leaders, and civil society.
• Algorithmic Bias in Canada (ABC) Project Interdisciplinary partnership confronting racism in AI systems, highlighting how facial recognition and LLMs disproportionately harm Black and racialized communities and calling for equitable AI governance. Sponsored by SRI alongside U of T's Centre for Ethics, Centre de recherche en éthique (CRÉ, Québec), Chiefs of Ontario, and TELUS Data & Trust Office. Targeted at policymakers, civil society, and affected communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cumulative reach of 10,000+ students through Embedded Ethics Education Initiative
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vector Institute for Artificial IntelligencecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2026Nicolas Papernot's CleverHans Lab is located at both U of T and the Vector Institute, where he holds a Canada CIFAR AI Chair. The Vector/SRI AI Safety discussion group is jointly organized, representing ongoing research collaboration between the two institutes.
• U of T Department for the Study of ReligionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026Co-hosted the 'Seeking Alignment: Religious Imaginaries in the Past and Future of AI' event as part of the department's 50th anniversary program, alongside SRI and Data Sciences Institute.
• Data Sciences InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026Co-hosted the 'Seeking Alignment' event alongside the Department for the Study of Religion and SRI.
• BMO Lab for Creative Research in the ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 April 2025SRI was presenting sponsor of the 'Who's Afraid of AI?' conference organized by BMO Lab, advancing public dialogue on AI's social dimensions.
• Sciences Po MedialabminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 February 2025Donato Ricci from Sciences Po Medialab participated in the SRI-hosted roundtable on Building Trust in AI at the AI Action Summit in Paris.
• Forum on Information and DemocracyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 February 2025Katharina Zügel from the Forum participated in the SRI roundtable on Building Trust in AI, introducing the Forum's voluntary certification mechanism for public interest AI.
• Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 February 2025Duncan Cass-Beggs and Matthew da Mota from CIGI's Global AI Risks Initiative participated in the SRI roundtable, exploring trust in international AI governance frameworks.
• Cooperative AI FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025SRI Research Lead Nisarg Shah and Faculty Affiliate Gillian Hadfield co-authored the Cooperative AI Foundation report on Multi-Agent Risks from Advanced AI.
• University of Toronto Department of Computer SciencecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The Embedded Ethics Education Initiative (E3I) is a collaborative project between SRI, the Department of Computer Science, and the Department of Philosophy. The joint Vector/SRI AI Safety discussion group involves the Department of Computer Science. Multiple faculty affiliates hold appointments in Computer Science.
• University of Toronto Department of PhilosophycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Co-leading the Embedded Ethics Education Initiative (E3I) with SRI and the Department of Computer Science. Philosophy faculty including Karina Vold and others are SRI research leads and affiliates.
• Massey CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024SRI Global Fellows and Scholars-in-Residence receive office and financial support for their research at Massey College, with engagement opportunities including weekly seminars and annual conferences.
• Partnership on AI and Quality of WorkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The SRI-PAIQ Graduate Fellowship is co-sponsored by the Partnership on AI and Quality of Work initiative at the Institute for Work & Health, supporting research on technological change and workplace safety.
• Algorithmic Bias in Canada (ABC) Project PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024SRI is a sponsor of the Algorithmic Bias in Canada project, alongside U of T's Centre for Ethics, Centre de recherche en éthique (CRÉ, Québec), Chiefs of Ontario, and TELUS Data & Trust Office. SRI Research Leads Karina Vold and Beth Coleman are principal investigators on the project.
• U of T Centre for EthicscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024ABC project's activities are hosted by the Centre for Ethics, which promotes research, teaching, and conversation on ethical issues. SRI Research Lead Karina Vold is based in the Department of Philosophy.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/SchwartzReismanInstitute
• Xx.com/TorontoSRI

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society