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Benjamin David Steel

PhD candidate with Derek Ruths in the Network Dynamics Lab
researcher @ Media Ecosystem Observatory
computational social science
climber | skier | backpacker

Work

Weekly Update 3: Quebec's First Election in the Age of AI

report

Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy (2026)

CoverageRadio-Canada
Weekly Update 3: Quebec's First Election in the Age of AI

Alberta's Referendum, Online: Influencers, AI Content, Foreign Interest, and the Attention Economy Ahead of the October 19 Vote

report

C. Ross, B. Steel, D. Hobson, S. Park, E. Chan, B. Wood-MacLean, M. Desblancs-Patel, A. Bridgman

Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy (2026)

CoverageCBC NewsCityNews Calgary
Alberta's Referendum, Online: Influencers, AI Content, Foreign Interest, and the Attention Economy Ahead of the October 19 Vote

Online Harms AI Audit: Technical Brief

report

B. Steel, T. Owen, A. Bridgman

Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy (2026)

CoverageThe LogicThe Globe and Mail
Online Harms AI Audit: Technical Brief

Online Harms AI Audit: Policy Memo

report

B. Steel, T. Owen, A. Bridgman

Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy (2026)

Online Harms AI Audit: Policy Memo

Conspiratorial Claims and Institutional Distrust in Canada's Online Ecosystem

report

M. Desblancs-Patel, E. Chan, M. Lavigne, C. Ross, D. Hobson, B. Steel, H. A. Hayes

MEO (2026)

CoverageCTV NewsThe TyeeNational Observer

Corpus-Oriented Stance Target Extraction

paper

B. Steel, D. Ruths

CODI-CRAC @ EMNLP 2025 (2025)

Code
Corpus-Oriented Stance Target Extraction

Can-PolNews: A Multi-Platform Dataset of Political Discourse in Canada

paper

Z. Pehlivan, S. Park, A. Abrahams, M. Desblancs-Patel, B. Steel, A. Bridgman

ICWSM 2025 (2025)

Just Another Hour on TikTok: ID sampling to obtain a complete slice of TikTok

paper

B. Steel, M. Schirmer, D. Ruths, J. Pfeffer

Journal of Quantitative Description: Digital Media (2025)

Code
CoverageThe EconomistDeutschlandfunkFast Company
Just Another Hour on TikTok: ID sampling to obtain a complete slice of TikTok

The relevance and role of Tenet Media personalities in Canadian political discussion

report

D. Hobson, J.-R. Roy, B. Steel, A. Bridgman

MEO (2024)

Multi-Target User Stance Discovery on Reddit

paper

B. Steel, D. Ruths

WASSA @ ACL 2024 (2024)

Art

Pond

Projecting my imaginary pond into the world, debuted at Friends Film Fest 2026

Code
Pond

Extended Particle Lenia Explorer

Interactive web app to explore instantiations of extended particle lenia

Code
Extended Particle Lenia Explorer

The Grove

3D physarum, 3D boids, and self-organising trees in a procedurally generated grove, shown at the Friends Film Fest 2023

Code
The Grove

A City with No Cars

Semi-satirical year round pedestrianization of Mont-Royal call for arms based on Connor O'Malley's Endorphin Port, winner of best film and best special effects at Friends Film Fest 2023

A City with No Cars

Biomass

2D physarum + reaction diffusion made into a world, shown at Sam's art night and Boheme Systeme

Code
Biomass

Media Mentions

My Newsreel Now — Newsreel, July 2026

Fav Ascents

Hairpin + Skywalker in a day

My 2nd 10a trad multi + fun runout links on Skywalker to finish the day with Hannah. (pic from a different route on the same Squamish holiday because we were hustling and it's a good pic)

September 24, 2025

Hairpin + Skywalker in a day

The Armadillo

4 hour bushwack walk-in to an incred alpine-esque route in Maine with Ben and Mike

September 9, 2025

The Armadillo

Moby Grape

Classic big 5.8 trad multi on Cannon in the Whites with Ben. (not my pic because we were hustling)

August 20, 2025

Moby Grape

Fav Descents

La Grande Cuve, Gaspesie

Terrible crust but beautiful place, with Kate, Joe, and Mike

May 7, 2026

La Grande Cuve, Gaspesie

Gulf of Slides, Main Slide

Amazing corn snow, with Joe and Mike

May 10, 2025

Gulf of Slides, Main Slide

Hellman's Highway

Sick descent after a beautiful walk over the ridge with Joe and Mike

May 10, 2025

Hellman's Highway