Brian Cantwell Smith died peacefully surrounded by loved ones on September 6th, 2025, at Sunnybrook Hospital (Toronto, ON). He is survived by his beloved wife and partner of 26 years, Dr. Gillian Einstein, and also by (step)son Xander Gopen (Briana Cowie), and siblings, Julian Smith (Betsy Smith), Heather Branch (Sue Howard), Rosemary Mountain, and Arnold Smith. He is also survived by his much-loved cousins, nieces and nephews on both sides of the family.

Brian was born on November 29th, 1950 in Montreal to Wilfred and Muriel Smith. He spent his childhood in Canada, India, and the United States. His bright and curious personality carried him into a long and fruitful career of exploring the World starting at Oberlin College and then MIT, where he obtained his BS, MS, and PHD before becoming a principal scientist at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC). Leaving the nascent tech world behind, he entered academia to deepen his philosophical explorations with a focus on ontology, cognitive, computer, and information science.

He began his teaching career at Stanford University where his 1989 course, ‘Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence’ inspired a young Reid Hoffman (co-founder of LinkedIn). Upon leaving Stanford , he held professorships at the University of Indiana, where he inspired students who worked with him until the end, and Duke University, before joining the University of Toronto in 2003 as Canada Research Chair and Dean of the Faculty of Information. To quote from a recent faculty news bulletin announcing his retirement, as Dean, “he drew on philosophy, computer science, and psychology to redefine what an information school could be. His vision helped transform a small, library-focused Faculty into a thriving, interdisciplinary centre.”

Completing his service as Dean, he returned to teaching and writing. His academic career came full circle when in 2018 he was awarded the Reid Hoffman Chair in Artificial Intelligence and The Human. He officially retired on August 31, 2025.

Brian leaves behind a literal archive [ageofsignificance.org] of publications, talks, thoughts and ideas, including three published/to be published books: On the Origin of Objects (MIT Press, 1998), The Promise of Artificial Intelligence: Reckoning and Judgement (MIT Press, 2019), and Computational Reflections (MIT Press, 2026) which has, and will continue to inspire future generations of thinkers and knowledge seekers.

In addition to his family, professional, and academic accomplishments, Brian was an avid explorer, leading many multiweek canoe trips in his earlier days. He loved nature, and he also loved machines, tools, and structures. Later in life he and Gillian stewarded a 1920s era lodge on Amanda Island, in Georgian Bay, which eventually required the purchase of a trawler (boat), christened Simpliciter. Brian also had a deep love of music, from bluegrass to chamber music - his Martin D-14 acoustic guitar was a cherished possession.

One defining characteristic of Brian was the deep relationships he developed with his friends, family, and colleagues (there was little difference to Brian) and the support - from professional to emotional - that he offered them. Beyond his work, his presence and ineffable impact on his faculty, field, friends, and family will continue to be deeply felt.

No matter the methods, the WORLD through WE was always the reason for Brian’s being.

A service will be held Thursday September 11th, at 3 PM at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Chapel, 375 Mt Pleasant Rd, Toronto, ON M4T 2V8. Reception to follow. Subsequent periods for reminiscing and reflection (Shiva) will be held in the common room, 20 Avoca Ave, Toronto:

Friday: 11 AM - 2 PM
Saturday: 7 PM - 9 PM
Sunday: 11 AM - 2 PM
Sunday: 7 PM - 9 PM

A memorial fund has been set up in Brian’s honour at Project Canoe (canoe.org) to ensure that Brian’s love of canoeing and the outdoors can be shared with youth facing barriers. A link for donations can be found under 'Donations' > 'Make a Donation' at the top of this page.

The Faculty of Information is organizing a Festschrift in Brian’s honour for early 2026.