91��ɫ researchers available to comment on how ever-advancing tech will impact our social and cognitive futures, and why decision-making shouldn’t be left solely in hands of technocrats

TORONTO, January 10, 2023 — From the future of aging and long-term care to how artificial intelligence can both help and hinder our brains, to why fully autonomous driving is still years away, 91��ɫ researchers are available to comment on the impacts of ever-advancing tech in 2023 and beyond.

Looking at how new technologies affect our cognitive abilities and social interactions – both now and in the future – is crucial and sound decision-making will require a multidisciplinary approach, say 91��ɫ professors and Shayna Rosenbaum.

Elder, with 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Health and the Lassonde School of Engineering, is an expert on human and computer vision. He is also the co-director of 91��ɫ’s nascent Centre for AI and Society, which is engaged in both the research and development of new AI technologies and in studying how they can best be integrated into society.  

Elder is available to speak on:

• How humans and AI systems perceive objects and implications for autonomous driving and pedestrian safety: A Tesla vehicle once infamously drove itself into an overturned truck. Elder can explain why differences in how AI and humans perceive objects may have contributed to the accident, how neuroscience research can potentially lead to more reliable AI systems, and the importance of research in human-machine interaction for driving systems.
• Social robots, coming to a long-term care home near you: They’ll start with basic cleaning duties and then move to more complex care tasks, says Elder, who is available to speak on recent advances and why this technology may arrive sooner than we think.
• Why an integrative approach is needed when adopting new technologies: Work being done at the Centre for AI and Society is bringing together 91��ɫ experts from multiple disciplines to tackle questions that are as philosophical in nature as they are technological.

Rosenbaum, also with 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Health and Associate Director of 91��ɫ's new Centre for Integrative and Applied Neuroscience, is a neuropsychologist and cognitive neuroscientist, and is an expert in memory, spatial navigation, and cognitive decline. The new year is a time to reflect on what’s transpired and what’s to come ahead – Rosenbaum’s research shows the two are inexorably linked, and that new tech can both help and hinder our brains.

Rosenbaum is available to speak on:

• The future of aging: How 91��ɫ research into VR and aging can help older adults age in place and adapt to new environments more easily. Can VR also be used to create novel and enriched environments that will stave off cognitive decline?
• 'Theory of Mind' and the 3D world: How we make ‘predictions’ by inferring the thoughts and feelings of others and how our increased reliance on technology, from texting to virtual meetings, might affect this.
• The hippocampus: A brain structure that is necessary for memory encoding, consolidation and spatial navigation that is highly vulnerable to age-related decline and neurological issues.
• Episodic memory: What it is and when impaired episodic memory function impedes the ability to think about the future.
• New research on urban analytics, AI and making new memories: to explain how we create prototypes of new environments in our brains based on old ones and the impacts of technologies like GPS and driverless cars on the brain and our understanding of the spaces we occupy.

About 91��ɫ

91��ɫ is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for success. 91��ɫ’s fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario’s Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91��ɫ’s campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contacts: Emina Gamulin, 91��ɫ Media Relations and External Communications, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

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Research projects to advance knowledge in areas ranging from water remediation, management of infectious disease through technological innovation, the effects of climate change on ecosystems and human populations, visual neuroscience, and understanding the pathway from colonial genocide to building just relationships

91��ɫ is funding groundbreaking research through the Catalyzing Interdisciplinary Research Clusters (CIRC) program, which aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, global research excellence and world-class training opportunities. Now in its second year, the program supports critical research that can advance 91��ɫ’s contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

“As the world continues to address urgent global challenges such as climate change, global health crises and political polarization, and their impact on people and the planet, it is critical now more than ever for 91��ɫ to support novel interdisciplinary research collaborations that drive innovative solutions to these grand challenges,” says 91��ɫ President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton. “91��ɫ is home to some of the brightest researchers in the world, and I am inspired by the talent, drive, and commitment of our researchers to making the world a better place. I offer you my congratulations in these exemplary research endeavours.”

“91��ɫ is pleased to invest in interdisciplinary research clusters that will continue to amplify 91��ɫ’s world class research excellence,” says Vice-President Research & Innovation (VPRI) Amir Asif. “The CIRC program brings together talented researchers from across disciplines and faculties, supporting research that will help address complex global issues identified in the UN SDGs, and driving positive change in our local and global communities.”

Seven projects will receive $150,000 per year over three years:

Catalyzing Interdisciplinary Research Cluster for Detection and Remediation of Water Contaminants (CIRC-DRWC), led by Satinder Brar, Lassonde School of Engineering, with co-Principal Investigators (PIs) Pouya Rezai, Lassonde School of Engineering, James Orbinski, Faculty of Health, Sylvie Morin, Faculty of Science, and Ali Asgary, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS)
UN SDG 6: Clean Water & Sanitation

Catalyzing Collective Action at the Intersection of Global Health and the Arts, led by Caitlin Fisher, School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design (AMPD) with co-PI Steven HoffmanFaculty of Health, and Sharon Hayashi (AMPD)
UN SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being

From Colonial Genocide to Just Relationships, led by Luann Good Gingrich (LA&PS) with co-PI Heidi Matthews, Osgoode Hall Law School
UN SDG 16: Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions

Technologies for Identification and Control of Infectious Diseases (TICID), led by Sergey Krylov, Faculty of Science
UN SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being

Geomatics for Analyzing Climate Change Effects on Ecosystems and Human Populations, led by Tarmo Remmel, Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change (EUC)
UN SDG 13: Climate Action

Translating Brain Signals Across Scales, Species, Sex and Lifespan, led by Jeff Schall, Faculty of Science with co-PI Shayna Rosenbaum, Faculty of Health
UN SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being

Designing Sound Futures: Inclusive Design and Transdisciplinary STEAM Learning, led by Kurt Thumlert, Faculty of Education with Co-PI Andreas Kitzmann (LA&PS)
UN SDG 10: Reduced Inequality

In addition, six other proposals that were highly ranked by external reviewers will each be awarded two-year funding of $100,000 per year for two years for a total of $200,000 each. These proposals include:

Biomedical Engineering Cluster (BEC), led by Alex Czekanski, Lassonde School of Engineering with co-PI Peter Backx, Faculty of Science
UN SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being

Towards Inclusive and Accessible Data Visualizations and Analytics, led by Enamul Prince(LA&PS)
UN SDG 10: Reduced Inequality

Overcoming Epidemics: Transnational Black Communities’ Response, Recovery and Resilience, led by Mohamed Sesay (LA&PS) with co-PIs Sylvia Bawa (LA&PS) and Oghenowede Eyawo, Faculty of Health
UN SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being

Research Cluster on Data Economy, aligned with UN SDG: Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure, led by Xiaohui Yu (LA&PS) with co-PIs Giuseppina D’Agostino, Osgoode Hall Law School, and Jennifer Pybus (LA&PS)
UN SDG 9: Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure

*Social and Business Implications of Introducing Micro-mobility Vehicles (at 91��ɫ) Implications for Disruptive Technologies and Experiential Education, led by Andrew Maxwell, Lassonde School of Engineering with co-PIs Marina Freire-Gormaly, Lassonde School of Engineering, Pilar F Carbonell (LA&PS), Manos Papangelis, Lassonde School of Engineering and Jose Etcheverry, (EUC)
UN SDG 10: Reduced Inequality

*Towards Sustainable Extraction in the North, aligned with UN SDG: Responsible Consumption and Production, led by Laura McKinnon, Glendon College with co-PIs Kamelia Atefi-Monfared, Lassonde School of Engineering, Gabrielle Slowey (LA&PS), Zachary Spicer, (LA&PS)
UN SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

*Conditionally approved, subject to additional review.

“We would like to acknowledge the members of the internal Adjudication Committee: Professors Rosemary Coombe, David Hood, Jane Heffernan and Dan Zhang, who have helped the Office of the VPRI support research excellence in ways that are equitable, diverse and inclusive,” adds Asif.

More about the Catalyzing Interdisciplinary Research Clusters Program

The Catalyzing Interdisciplinary Research Clusters (CIRC) program funds research excellence for interdisciplinary projects, crossing the mandates of at least two of the three federal granting councils, with the core team of at least five researchers for each project including members from at least two faculties and at least one early career researcher.

Modelled to replicate the success of interdisciplinary research clusters, the initiative empowers clusters to achieve research excellence and secure large-scale funding through highly competitive national programs, such as the Canada Excellence Research Chair, the Canada First Research Excellence Fund and the New Frontiers in Research Fund – Transformation stream. The CIRC program will scale the development of research teams and clusters to position the University as a key node in national and international networks in strategic areas of interest, while enabling impactful contributions towards the University’s Strategic Research Plan, the University Academic Plan and the UN SDGs.

All proposals received were subjected to expert external peer review, with final decisions informed by an internal adjudication committee comprised of senior 91��ɫ researchers with additional representatives from the Office of the VPRI.

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While new technologies offer obvious benefits to humanity, concerns over who gets left behind as our world transforms need to be addressed, researchers warn

TORONTO, January 4, 2023 – From basic internet to high-end neurotechnology and everything in between, reliable access to technology is out of reach for millions of Canadians and billions across the globe, and for some equity-seeking communities this will pose new challenges, say 91��ɫ researchers, who have joined forces to tackle this pressing issue.

“Technology now influences the way we communicate with each other, and in many cases, we’re now interacting with artificial agents,” says Distinguished Research in the Faculty of Health.

Crawford is the director of 91��ɫ’s project that blends human science, computer science, humanities and arts for transdisciplinary research and applications.

As a neuroscientist, he sees how neurotechnology is implemented in medical diagnostics and rehabilitation, and as a means for direct communication between the brain and prosthetics to replace lost functions like vision and movement. He also sees how various apps and online platforms can both connect and divide us.

“These advances have many benefits for society, health, and the economy, however, they come with serious concerns,” points out Crawford, who has partnered other 91��ɫ researchers in the fields of neuroscience, technology, law, arts and social science to come up with solutions.

“For example, social media, while connecting people, is also driving them apart into bubble like 'echo chambers'. And now, with the advent of brain-machine interfaces, we face new ethical concerns that were the stuff of science fiction until only a few years ago.”

Faculty of Health , Mi'kmaw scholar from the Qalipu First Nation and a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, shares the same view based on his research and personal experiences.

“A lack of access to internet for Indigenous Peoples in Canada exacerbates long-standing inequities in areas such as health, employment and education,” says Hillier, 91��ɫ Research Chair in Indigenous Health Policy & One Health. He highlights the fact that while the threats posed by technology are of concern to everyone, the most impacted are low-income and rural communities. “Highspeed and reliable internet connection are not accessible to many Indigenous community members, both in rural and urban settings.”

A lack of reliable internet creates many barriers, including the inability to work from home as employees, conduct transactions within and outside of their communities as business owners, successfully complete post-secondary education, and access health-care services, whether primary care or mental health supports, particularly for those in remote locations, according to Hillier.

“How can you be examined or share your health concerns or receive counselling when you live in a household with no privacy and your internet connectivity is unstable? You will be forced into public spaces to do these calls.”

Hillier also points out there are concerns about how Indigenous sovereignty and data are presented that need to be answered. “While information flows more reliably online, what does it mean for Indigenous Peoples' traditional knowledges, how are these knowledges shared and who gets access to them and subsequently use it? How do we effectively implement principals of data ownership and control when communities do not have the recourses or expertise to oversee this?”

When it comes to Artificial Intelligence (AI), there is a lack of ethical designing, says Hillier. “AI designs are created with a western bias, so they are limited in their imagination, frameworks, and effective use of language with diverse Indigenous knowledge systems and our Peoples."

Theatre & Performance Studies , whose research focus is on digital justice for diverse groups, believes the need of the hour is to collectively conduct research to determine how social injustices are embedded in digital technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), and find impactful solutions.

“Researching barriers to access for those in historically marginalized groups around the world — from the cost of using certain equipment, to having to don normative avatars, to experiencing surveillance on various platforms — will ensure that virtual communities can assemble, self-organize, and connect, allowing them to imagine alternative past, presents, and futures,” she says.

“How these technologies — which enable new kinds of interactivity and storytelling — shape collective thinking, affective experiences, and community care, will be another aspect to explore to better understand social issues produced by interactions between humans and computers. This is especially important in the context of art and educational projects that use immersive features of VR to teach empathy,” says Levin, who is the associate dean of research at the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design at 91��ɫ.

Levin adds that it is crucial to consider the ethical and political implications of using immersive technologies to give spectators an experience of someone culturally different from themselves (for example, experiencing a migrant’s or a homeless person’s perspective), as this can often reinforce Eurocentric, colonial, and capitalist ideologies.

Another challenge such marginalized communities face as technology evolves, shifting toward integration of AI, is access to the legal justice system.

“With the onslaught of emerging technologies, the law is ever playing catch up and many in society get left behind,” says Intellectual Property Law , who has been researching IP innovation for more than a decade. To tackle this issue, “information and services should remain available and accessible to those who need it most to empower them from the ground up, through education and access to information and resources that should be public knowledge.”

Removing monopolies on public knowledge will help foster more innovation and entrepreneurship at the grassroots level, allowing local economies to prosper and growing made-in-Canada companies to better manage and leverage their resources, says D’Agostino. “At the same time, special care should be taken to ensure that remote communities and those without stable or consistent internet access are still able to access these resources. This can work through strategic and carefully cultivated partnerships which build trust between knowledge-holders and community members.”

For her part, in 2010 D’Agostino founded the at 91��ɫ’s Osgoode Hall Law School, which helps under-resourced entrepreneurs and start-up companies to commercialize their intellectual property. “My current IP Innovation Clinic research is targeting barriers disproportionately affecting women and Indigenous communities, two of the most underrepresented among patent holders in Canada,” she says.

“Through our new AI-powered chatbot at the Clinic, we are trying to engage with organizations supporting these communities to identify barriers, research answers to their most pressing questions, and refine this AI tool to better respond to these concerns,” says D’Agostino. “Bottomline, AI will disrupt all aspects of society, so learning how to embrace and interact with it is the best way to keep up with this shift.”

The common element of all these examples is that new technologies, while providing advances in some areas, also create barriers of threats for some communities, the researchers say, emphasizing that a more proactive approach to understanding the potential consequences of novel technological perturbations.

Having this collective goal of narrowing the digital divide that is intensified by the shift in the interaction between human science and machine science, these researchers and others from research centres at the University have come together to plan programs with real-world impact, while making a positive change in the global arena.

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