Latest News
Researchers decode 15th-century letter
A medieval missive crossed centuries and continents before University of Toronto researchers, including Faculty of Information alumni, made a royal discovery: it was a decree from France’s notorious “Spider King.” U of T’s Old Books New Science (OBNS) Lab has identified the faded strip of parchment as part of a 15th-century legal letter from the court of […]
Brian Cantwell Smith, a philosopher at heart
While the late Professor Brian Cantwell Smith had bachelor’s, master’s and PhD degrees in computer science from MIT, he was a philosopher at heart, according to longtime colleagues and friends. Speaking on a Metaphysics panel at a “Festschrift” celebration held in honour of the former Faculty of Information Dean, panelists also noted that Smith was well ahead of his time in his philosophical work on how humans relate to machines and artificial intelligence. […]
‘Not on the Exam’ with Prof Silvia Vong
In this ongoing series, we ask our professors not just about their work, but also to tell us about their favourite cuisine and whether they prefer cats or dogs. This latest installment features Assistant Professor (Teaching Stream) Silvia Vong, who is also the Library and Information Science Concentration Coordinator. What courses are you teaching now? I am teaching three sections of INF1321. It’s quite a long title: Representing, Documenting, and Accessing the Cultural Record. That’s a compulsory course for Library and […]
Does AI ‘give a damn’?
“Does AI give a damn?” was the question of the day at a scholarly gathering held to commemorate the work of the late Professor Brian Cantwell Smith, who long maintained that artificial intelligence lacked a human element, and that while AI could “reckon,” it lacked the ability to judge. Echoing his friend, the late philosopher John Haugeland, Smith argued in his 2019 book, The Promise of Artificial Intelligence, that AI couldn’t make judgments because, unlike humans, it was incapable […]
Dean Javed Mostafa at the OLA Super Conference
The Dean joined leading library and information science practitioners to explore emerging trends and gaps in research and scholarship.
Black History Month: The artist as ‘Afronaut’ and historian
As part of their coursework, two BI students wrote about “Otherworld,” a multimedia exhibition presented at the Art Museum at U of T.
The 2026 issue of Informed magazine is out
In the 2026 edition of our Informed alumni magazine, sessional lecturers are in the spotlight. We profile five lecturers who spice up the classroom and the curricula with their unique insights and experience. The magazine also includes the obituary of the late Faculty Dean and Professor Brian Cantwell Smith as well as reports on a […]
‘Not on the Exam’ with Prof Jessica Lapp
In this occasional series we ask our professors to tell us not just about their work, but also to answer other serious questions like whether they prefer cats or dogs. In this instalment, we talk to Assistant Professor Jessica Lapp, a Faculty of Information alumna, who took up her current post in the summer of […]
Kode4Kids wins Ontario Public Service Hackathon
A team of MI students and alumni took home a key prize at the 2025 Ontario Public Service Microsoft Hackathon with their innovative project, Matching Children with Homes. The Kode4Kids team used smart algorithms and interactive dashboards to help service coordinators quickly find the best provider options, turning complex data into actionable insights that support […]
When ChatGPT becomes a teen’s secret friend
While AI has become a routine part of teenage life – used to brainstorm essays and polish assignments – high school students participating in a recent research project discovered a more complex reality when examining how and why teens trust AI tools. The findings showed that students often turned to AI chatbots during stress, describing […]
Student Mini-Exhibits from Curatorial Practice
Stop by the fifth floor of the Bissell Building to explore Master of Museum Studies student exhibits inspired by the theme of home.These works were curated as final assignments for Curatorial Practice course (MSL2000H) taught by Assistant Professor Maggie Hutcheson, and they offer a thoughtful look at how students interpret identity, belonging, and place. On […]
Professor Mark Chignell (1956 – 2025)
Mark Chignell, Professor of Industrial Engineering and the former director of the Knowledge Media Design Institute at the Faculty of Information, passed away last month. Chignell’s research lay at the intersection of psychology, engineering and computer science, and his work advanced the fields of human factors and user interface design. In recent years, his research […]
Dean Mostafa named Chair-Elect of iSchools Organization
Faculty of Information Dean Javed Mostafa has been voted Chair-Elect of the iSchools Organization. A long-term participant in iSchools, Dean Mostafa has been involved as both an independent academic member and as a dean, volunteering for key activities, providing organizational support, and helping to sponsor iSchools conferences and events. His election reflects both his leadership at the Faculty of Information and the Faculty’s long-standing involvement […]
Stop drinking water!
Sustainability lab launches provocative campaign highlighting AI’s hidden environmental costs In the halls of the Faculty of Information’s Bissell Building, and as far away as Silicon Valley and Melbourne, a series of unusual posters are sparking conversation and turning heads. The “Save the AI” project, created by Professor Christoph Becker’s Just Sustainability Design (JSD) Lab, uses irony, humour and data to highlight the significant, and often overlooked, environmental and social impact of generative AI. With tongue-in-cheek messages that ask people to conserve water and electricity “for the AI,” […]
Safeguarding justice in the age of AI
An AI Safety Solution Network designed to safeguard courts from synthetic AI content has launched and will be co-directed by Professor Ebrahim Bagheri of the Faculty of Information. The goal of the network, which will receive funding and operate under the Canadian AI Safety Institute Research Program at CIFAR, is to address the rising prevalence […]
Re-writing Romanian History
Using Romanian museums as an example, Professor Irina D.Mihalache is exploring how museums cope with political pressure.
Flags lowered in memory of Brian Cantwell Smith
The University of Toronto’s flags have been lowered to half mast today in memory of the late Professor and Dean Emeritus, Brian Cantwell Smith, who passed away on September 6th. Also in honour of Professor Smith’s passing, the Faculty of Information has posted an academic obituary, telling the story of his groundbreaking work in the […]
Obituary: Brian Cantwell Smith (1950 to 2025)
Former dean wove philosophy and computation into a lifelong inquiry into the human dimensions of intelligence, judgment, and meaning Born into a prominent Canadian family known for both its intellectual achievements and record of public service, Brian Cantwell Smith found his calling in the philosophical foundations of computing and artificial intelligence, emerging fields where he […]