HASS Inaugural Lecture - Professor Ana Beduschi

Why do human rights matter for the governance of digital technologies?

Rapid developments in technology, particularly in generative artificial intelligence, are increasingly transforming our world. From “smart assistants” on our phones to algorithms designed to improve health diagnostics, digital technologies are now everywhere.

However, these technologies are not neutral, and depending on how they are designed, developed and deployed, they may have important consequences for the promotion, protection and respect of human rights. This is particularly relevant in terms of the impact that digital technologies may have on the rights to privacy, equality, non-discrimination, freedom of expression, freedom of association and assembly, and access to remedies in case their uses result in harm.

In this talk, based on my research over the last decade, I will argue that policymakers and lawmakers should adopt a comprehensive approach to human rights for the governance of digital technologies. This approach should go beyond the protection of data privacy, which is often the focus of debates.

The legal and policy choices we are making today will have profound implications on what our lives and the world around us will look like ten or twenty years from now. It is time to view human rights not as a barrier to technological innovation, but rather as a framework within which innovation can happen – and thus create a digital future that is just, fair and equitable for all.