ABC: partnership on algorithmic bias and safety in Canada

who we are

ABC is a University of Toronto-based interdisciplinary research initiative focused on understanding and addressing algorithmic bias in Canada.Through academic collaboration, public engagement, and partnerships with industry, government, and Indigenous communities, we aim to promote understanding about the effects of algorithmic bias and to shape more equitable AI systems.

news

> see the schedule for our ABC seminar series for the 2026 winter term below> ABC postdoctoral researcher, Dr. Miron Clay-Gilmore, is hosting a new podcast series, "Algorithms of Empire". Listen here> ABC is co-sponsoring an event on AI Companions at the Centre for Ethics, running on January 14th from 5-7pm. Register here> Prof. Karina Vold will give a Keynote lecture at the University of Manitoba's Philosophy of AI conference on January 17-18th> ABC postdoctoral researcher, Dr. Miron Clay-Gilmore has a new article out in AI Ethics: "Hunting for humans: on slavery, the emergence of the US as the world’s first super industrial state and its deployment of artificial intelligence and other military technology to repress dissent and neutralize enemy combatants." > Dr. Miron Clay-Gilmore has launched a new Institute for Philosophy, Technology and Counterinsurgency. Their first exhibition is on "Technologization of Counterinsurgency"> ABC collaborator, Helena Gagnier, has a new article out on "Value inheritance: the transmission of values through cognitive extenders".

ABC seminar seriesWinter 2026
wednesdays 3:00-5:00pm
Centre for Ethics
15 Devonshire Place

jan 14
Steven Coyne
University of Toronto
Interpretive Drift in Probabilistic Statements: Lessons for Expressivist Views of Discrimination

jan 28
LK Bertram
University of Toronto
tba

feb 11
Prof. Gideon Christian
University of Calgary
Algorithmic Racism in Canada

feb 25
Prof. Elise Burton
University of Toronto
Quantifying Race: Histories of Statistical Modeling in Human Population Genetics

march 11
Prof. Beth Coleman and Brittany Beheshti
University of Toronto
tba

march 25
Prof. Tommy Curry
University of Edinburgh
Target Acquisition, Phallicism, and Technology

ABC events

-------------------------------------------------AI Companions
14 January, 2026A special event at the Centre for Ethics, with speakers Yiran Hua, Michael Inzlicht and Paul Bloom discuss ethical questions surrounding AI companions.
-------------------------------------------------The Ethics of Griefbots
11-12 December, 2025A workshop on the ethics of griefbots held at the Centre for Ethics with speakers Hugo Cossette-Lefebvre, Jenny Lau, Anna Su, Daniel Buchman, Yiran Hua, and Karina Vold-------------------------------------------------Technophilosophy Soiree on AI Companionship
16 September, 2025A public event held at the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society with speakers Jelena Markovic, Michael Inzlicht, Anastasia Kuzminykh, Jocelyn Maclure, and Karina Vold discuss ethical questions surrounding AI companions.

members

William Paris (PI)Professor of Philosophy, University of TorontoResearch areas: history of African American philosophy, critical theory, political philosophy

Karina Vold
(PI)Assistant Professor at the Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology and the Department of Philosophy, University of TorontoResearch areas: philosophy of AI, cognitive science, mind, ethics of technology

Sergio Tenenbaum
(PI)Professor of Philosophy, Director of the Centre for Ethics, University of TorontoResearch areas: Ethics, Practical Reason, Philosophy of Action, Kant

Miron Clay-Gilmore
(Postdoctoral Fellow)Centre for Ethics, University of TorontoResearch areas: philosophy of AI, race, Africana philosophy, black male studies

Leena Abdelrahim
(Graduate Fellow)PhD student in the Department of Philosophy, University of TorontoResearch areas: social epistemology, social philosophy, artificial intelligence, philosophy of race.

Ellen Abrams
(Collaborator)Assistant Professor at the Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology, University of TorontoResearch areas: history of science and mathematics, STS, critical data studies

Ishtiaque Ahmed
(Collaborator)Associate Professor of Computer Science, University of TorontoResearch areas: computer science, responsible AI, Human-Computer Interaction AI policy

Rima Basu
(Collaborator)Associate Professor of Philosophy, Claremont McKenna CollegeResearch areas: ethics, epistemology, philosophy of race, social philosophy

Gideon Christian
(Collaborator)Professor of AI and Law, University Excellence Research Chair in AI and Law, University of CalgaryResearch areas: AI and Law, environmental impacts of new and emerging technologies

Ryoa Chung
(Collaborator)Professor of Philosophy, Université de MontréalResearch areas: international relations, feminist studies, political philosophy, global health

Jerome Clarke
(Collaborator)Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Religion, American UniversityResearch areas: technology ethics, critical philosophy of race, social philosophy

Beth Coleman
(Collaborator)Assistant Professor at the Institute of Communication, Culture, Information and Technology; Knowledge Media Design Institute Director, University of TorontoResearch areas: STS, data, responsible AI, race, smart technologies

Lintao Dong
(Graduate Fellow)PhD student in the Institute for the History & Philosophy of Science & Technology, University of Toronto.Research areas: philosophy of technology, artificial intelligence; inferential targeting, psychometrics, autonomy

Jesslyn Dymond
(Collaborator)Director of Data Ethics at TELUS leading the approach to responsible data-driven innovation, drawing on a background of privacyResearch areas: Responsible AI, AI Governance, Data Ethics, Indigenous Reconciliation

Sina Fazelpour
(Collaborator)Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Computer Science, Northeastern UniversityResearch areas: philosophy of AI, cognitive science, computational social science

Helena Gagnier
(Collaborator)Strategy Manager, Data Ethics & Trust Engagement at TELUSResearch areas: data ethics, responsible AI, public trust in technology

Gabbrielle Johnson
(Collaborator)Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Claremont McKenna CollegeResearch areas: philosophy of cognitive science, psychology, and AI, social bias

Edward Jones-Imhotep
(Collaborator)Professor and Director on leave of the Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and TechnologyResearch areas: history of science and technology, esp. the social and cultural life of machines

Yoelit Lipinsky
(Collaborator)Data Ethicist at TELUSResearch areas: data ethics, responsible AI

Osonde A. Osoba
(Collaborator)Professor of Policy Analysis, RAND School of Public PolicyResearch areas: machine learning, policy analysis, algorithmic bias, AI safety

Zachary Smith
(Collaborator)Associate Director of the Chiefs of Ontario's (COO) Research and Data Management (RDM) sector

Kwesi Thomas
(Graduate Fellow)PhD student in the Department of Philosophy, University of TorontoResearch areas: Africana Philosophy and the History of Social and Political Philosophy

Kristin Voigt
(Collaborator)Associate Professor with the Institute for Health and Social Policy and Department of Philosophy, McGill UniversityResearch areas: moral philosophy, applied ethics, health and social policy

Benjamin Wald
(Collaborator)Senior research analyst for the Chiefs of OntarioResearch areas: indigenous perspectives on AI, moral theory and philosophy of action, ethics of AI

Andrea Cheung
(Intern)Undergraduate student double majoring in Ethics, Society & Law and Women & Gender Studies, University of TorontoResearch areas: Responsible AI, Indigenous Reconciliation, Privacy in Biometric Technologies

Emily Huynh
(Intern)Undergraduate student double majoring in Molecular Genetics & Microbiology and Cell & Molecular Biology, University of TorontoResearch areas: ethics of AI, philosophy of AI, responsible AI

Petrina van Nieuwstadt
(Intern)Undergraduate student specializing in Philosophy, University of Torontoethics of AI, algorithm bias, political epistemology, philosophy of religion, critical theory

partners

University of Toronto

Centre for Ethics, University of Toronto

Centre de recherche en éthique/Centre for Research in Ethics (CRÉ), Québec

Chiefs of Ontario

Department of Philosophy, University of Toronto

Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology, University of Toronto

Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society, University of Toronto

Data & Trust Office, TELUS Corporation

research

2026

> Ethical Considerations in using Artificial Intelligence in Organ Transplantation. Vold, K., Orlandi, M., Hall, J., Huynh, E., Katz, R., and Gross, J. To appear in the University of Toronto Press. Eds. M. Bhat and A. Sidhu.

2025

> Hunting for humans: on slavery, the emergence of the US as the world’s first super industrial state and its deployment of artificial intelligence and other military technology to repress dissent and neutralize enemy combatants. Clay-Gilmore, M. (2025). AI Ethics 5, 3743–3762.> Race, Time, and Utopia: Critical Theory and the Process of Emancipation Paris, W. (2025). Oxford University Press.> The hard proxy problem: proxies aren't intentional; they're intentional. Johnson, G. M. (2025). Philosophical Studies Vol. 182, 1383-1411.> Residual Mobilities and Religious Practices: Exploring the Experiences of the Hindu Migrants in Canada. Bhattacharjee, A., Rifat, M.R., Das, D., Taiabul Haque, S.M., and Ahmed, S.I. (2025.)
Proceedings of the ACM Human-Computer Interaction, Vol. 9(2), Article CSCW159> Value inheritance: the transmission of values through cognitive extenders. Gagnier, H. (2025). Synthese, Vol. 206, Issue 156.Finding Consensus on Trust in AI in Healthcare: Recommendations from a Panel of International Experts
2025. With Starke, G., Gille, F., Termine, A., et al. Journal of Medical Internet Research 27, e:56306.

2024

> Bias, Norms, and Function: comments on Thomas Kelly's Bias: A Philosophical Study. Johnson, G. M. (2024). Philosophical Studies Vol. 182, 3025-3035.> Human-centric AI: perspectives on trust and the future of AI (2025) Responsible AI Report by TELUS.> The Value of Disagreement in AI Design, Evaluation, and Alignment. Fazelpour, S., & Fleisher, W. (2025). FAccT 2025, 2138-2150.> The Black Androids: A Chrestomathy. Diagne, A., Grenon, E., Hasan, S., Johnstone, H., Jones-Imhotep, E., Offord, A., Young, N.O., Rudder, S. Historical Studies in the Natural Sciences (2024). Vol. 54(3): 407–421.> Striking the empire back: Dr. Strangelove and the global histories of technology. Jones-Imhotep, E. (2024). History and Technology, 40(1–2), 4–17.> Racial Bias in AI should be the immediate concern. Christian, G. (2024). Policy Options.> The Challenges of Thick Diversity, Polarization, Debiasing, and Tokenization for Cross-Group Teaching: Some Critical Notes Basu, R. (2024). In NOMOS LXVI: Civic Education in Polarized Times, eds. Eric Beerbohm and Elizabeth Beaumont, NYU Press> The New Jim Crow: Unmasking Racial Bias in AI Facial Recognition Technology within the Canadian Immigration System. Christian, G. (2024). McGill Law Journal 69(4), 441-466.> Varieties of bias. Johnson, G. M. (2024). Philosophy Compass 19(7), e13011.> Legal framework for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the Canadian criminal justice system. Christian, G. (2024). Canadian Journal of Law & Technology 21(2), 109–132.> Systemic and Epistemic Racism in the History of Technology. Jones-Imhoptep, E., Bhimull, C., Hecht, G., Chakanetsa Mavhunga, C., Nakamura, L., and Siddiqi, A. (2022). Technology and Culture, Vol. 63(2): 935-952.

acknowledgmentWe wish to acknowledge the land on which the University of Toronto operates. For thousands of years it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit. Today, it is still home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to convene our project on this land.