Ishtiaque Ahmed

 

I am an Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Toronto. I direct the Third Space research group at the DGP Lab. I am also an affiliated faculty at the UofT iSchool, School of Environment, School of Cities, and Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society. I co-organize the monthly UofT Critical Computing Seminar that hosts speakers analyzing computer science and its applications from the perspectives of marginalization, bias, and oppression. I co-direct the PRISM program at the CS Department, which trains students from marginalized communities for higher education in computer science. I also serve on the Ethics Review Board (REB) of the university. I teach "Computers and Society" and "Ethical Aspects of AI" at the Computer Science Department of UofT.

 

My current research is focused on the Ethics in AI. I am particularly interested in building responsible AI technologies with the voices of underprivileged communities. My research questions the ethical foundations of AI systems and explores novel ways of community-based participatory development of AI. My work is usually published in CHI, CSCW, FaccT, ICTD, DIS, and COMPASS. I am also honored to deliver keynote speeches on this topic at PDC '24 and EAAMO '24. I also chaired the program committees of ICTD '22 and IndiaHCI '22.

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Keynote Speeches: ​

• “Fear of Small Data,” at the Participatory Design Conference (PDC), August 2024, Malaysia.​

 

My work has been recognized, celebrated, and supported by Microsoft AI & Society Fellowship ('24), Google Award for Inclusion Research ('23), Connaught Scholarship ('23), Facebook Faculty Research Award ('22), Schwartz Reisman Fellowship ('21), Massey Fellowship ('21), Google exploreCSR Award ('20), Youth Policy Forum Fellowship ('20), Fulbright Centennial Fellowship ('19), Global Young Academy Membership ('19), Connaught New Researcher Award ('18), Intel Technology and Society Fellowship ('15), Fulbright S&T Fellowship ('11), and OpenStreetMap Scholarship ('10). My research has also received generous support from all three divisions of Canada's federal tri-council research agency: NSERC, CIHR, and SSHRC. 

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Recent Highlights: (see all news here)

* Apr '25: NSERC DISCOVERY Award!

* Apr '25: Invited Talk at the Centre for Digital Transformation Health, University of Melbourne (virtual)

* Mar '25: Winner of the School of Cities "Data and Inequality" Challenge 2025!

* Mar '25: Attended CIFAR Forum for Radical Interdisciplinarity in Geneva!

* Mar '25: Panelist at the Vohra Miller Lecture Series, UofT. [watch]

* Mar '25: Panelist at the Forum for Anti-Caste Activism, UTSC

* Mar '25: Invited Talk at MBZUAI Machine Learning Department in Abu Dhabi.

* Mar '25: Invited Talk at the AI Centres of Doctoral Training (CDT), Northumbria University (virtual)

* Jan '25: Invited Talk at NYUAD Computer Science Department.

* Nov '24: Google exploreCSR Award!

* Aug '24: Keynote at PDC'24

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In Public Press:

* Mar '21: Interaction article, "Designing with Internally Displaced Slum Dwellers in Bangladesh"

* Sep '20: (IIE Centennial Blog): Repairing and Recycling of Digital Electronics during COVID-19

* Sep '20: Blog post (ACM Interactions): "Fighting Coronavirus with Faith"

* May '20: Op-ed (Daily Star): "COVID-19 and the economization of life in Bangladesh" 

* Apr '20: Op-ed (Prothom Alo): "করোনা মোকাবিলা: ডেটানির্ভর প্রযুক্তি ও ব্যক্তিগত তথ্য নিরাপত্তা"

* Apr '20: Talk Show Interview on Ekattor TV on COVID19. [Link]

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My full name is Syed Ishtiaque Ahmed, which I use for all formal purposes, including publications. ]