Human Rights in the Digital Age: Balancing AI, Technology, and Governance in Smart Cities

2024 Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform
Tuesday 5 November 2024, 09:15-15:00
Pétale 5, Room c1, Maison de la Paix, Geneva

(Originally published on the Geneva Academy website)

Topic

As digital technologies and AI increasingly shape the infrastructure and governance of urban settings and impact people’s lives in cities, safeguarding human rights becomes a central challenge. Without proper regulation, the widespread use of AI and other technologies risks infringing on fundamental rights and exacerbating inequality and discrimination.
Continue reading →

Experts Techniques Internationaux – Olivier Alais – Union Internationale des Télécommunications

Human Rights & ICT Standardisation

Webinar on Human Rights and ICT Standardisation

(Originally published on the hsbooster website)

On Thursday 6th June 2024 (15:30 – 17:30 CEST) the CSA European Commission funded project StandICT.eu 2026, in collaboration with the HSBooster.eu project, discussed amongst experts working on human rights and standards, the issue of how to ensure Human Rights are considered and dealt with when addressing technical specifications in ICT standardisation.

Continue reading →

Enhancing CSO participation in global digital policy processes: Roles, structures, and accountability

Panel Discussion at WSIS+20

(Originally published on the ITU website)

Join us for an insightful session on how the Civil Society Alliances for Digital Empowerment (CADE) is working to boost CSO participation in global policy processes, including those all-important standard-setting ones. We’ll dive into the evolving roles of CSOs, necessary structural changes, accountability mechanisms, joint GS-GN advocacy, and more. Our goal? To develop clear strategies for more inclusive and effective CSO contributions, especially from stakeholders in the Global South (GS).

Continue reading →

Trust in Tech: Navigating Emerging Technologies and Human Rights in a Connected World

Panel discussion at WSIS+20

(Originally published on the ITU website)

In our rapidly evolving digital landscape, emerging technologies are shaping our world in profound ways, offering immense opportunities for progress, but also presenting complex challenges. Moreover, technical standards play a foundational role in ensuring the interoperability, compatibility, and security of emerging technologies. As we embrace innovations such as artificial intelligence, it becomes increasingly crucial to ensure that these advancements uphold human rights and foster trust among users.

Continue reading →

Shaping a Sustainable Future: The Role of Standards and Policy in Ethical AI Development

Zoom screenshot

(Originally published on Youtube)

Join us on an exploration of the pivotal role of standards and policy in guiding AI and human-machine teaming toward a sustainable and dignified future. Our esteemed speakers will shed light on how adherence to these frameworks mitigates technology misuse, safeguarding human rights, and nurturing compassion. Gain invaluable insights into how AI can drive positive change, fostering inclusivity and upholding human and planetary flourishing. Together we can shape a future where ethical AI development leads the way to a more sustainable, prosperous society.

Continue reading →

IA : qui pour la réglementer ?

Sur la scène principale du FIFDH 2024 à Genève

(Publié à l’origine sur le site web du FIFDH)

En monétisant nos données, les géants BigTech ont engendré une immense concentration de pouvoir économique et financier. Aujourd’hui, un scénario identique mais aux conséquences plus vertigineuses encore se dessine : l’intelligence artificielle générative.

Continue reading →

Telecommunication Standardization Bureau activities about Human Rights and Standards

TD presentation during the TSAG plenary

(Originally published on the ITU website)

Embedding human rights in digital technologies is currently one of the United Nations’ priorities. On February 24, 2023, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, explained the importance of taking human rights into account in technical standards at a high-level meeting at the World Standards Cooperation (WSC). This was reported to the last TSAG meeting (TD213).

ITU Council discussed this subject as well in its July 2023 meeting (see C74 and C49). In recent months, the Human Rights Council has updated two resolutions on human rights applied to digital technologies. Resolution (A/HRC/RES/53/29) “New and emerging digital technologies and human rights”, updated on July 14, 2023, and resolution (A/HRC/54/L.12) “The right to privacy in the digital age”, updated on October 6, 2023.

Continue reading →

The Interplay Between Human Rights and Technology

The Interplay Between Human Rights and Technology

(Originally published on the ITU website)

To celebrated the Human Rights Day, annually on 10 December, we invited the leading experts within the field of human rights in cyberspace during our Episode 39: “The Interplay Between Human Rights and Technology” and explored the complex relationship between human rights and the digital realm.

Continue reading →

AI for Humanity: AI based on Human Rights (WorldBank)

eWeek

(Originally published on the Dig Watch website)

Governments are increasingly using AI to improve efficiency or lower the costs of public services by automating decision-making in public services. At the same time, such algorithmic systems can also cause harm human rights (through reinforcing discrimination and undermining the privacy of digital personal data, e.g.), and frequently lack transparency and accountability in their implementation and use. Governments do not yet have a consistent means evaluating the impact of such systems on fundamental Human Rights. The goal of this session is to help better identify potential risks that may arise in connection with including certain AI/machine learning activities may impact human rights.

Topic

Follow alais.org