Event information

17 March 2018, 17:30-20:00

Downloads

Flyer >

Artificial Intelligence: Opportunity or Threat for Human Rights?

Event

Surveillance images Surveillance images

FIFDH Logo ENG

The International film festival and forum on human rights (FIFDH) and the Geneva Academy co-organize this debate on artificial intelligence (AI).

AI is already ubiquitous, in our smartphones, our applications, and our search engines. Robots, algorithms and big data have invaded our dinner conversations. From what dream were they born? For what purpose? Research in AI is now funded in the billions of dollars. But how do we ensure that machines programmed by humans respect ethics and make moral choices? Will Artificial Intelligence and big data ever be used to pre-emptively identify suspected individuals and declare them suspicious? To reduce freedom of expression and dissent? To select and sort out migrants and refugees? Or to select those who will be entitled to an education? Or to care?

Debate

Panelists

  • Flynn Coleman, international human rights lawyer, author, and social entrepreneur
  • Solange Ghernaouti, Professor at the University of Lausanne and international expert in cybersecurity and cyber defense
  • Lorna McGregor, Law Professor at the University of Essex, co-director and principal investigator of a project on human rights, big data, and technology

Moderator

  • Bruno Giussani, TED Global Curator and Chairman of the International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH)

Film

The debate will be preceeded by the screening of the film Pre Crime.

Pre Crime

By Monika Hielscher and Matthias Heeder

Would you entrust your freedom to an algorithm? Designed by Philip K. Dick, and popularized by Spielberg's Minority Report, "pre-crime" is a surveillance technique designed to identify people likely to break the law. Far from science fiction, the method is widely used today. But how to guarantee the accuracy of the data? Who controls it? Who benefits?

MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

GHRP Ai for Good Workshop News

Exploring the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Human Rights Monitoring: Key Takeaways from the AI for Good Workshop

22 July 2025

Our event brought together human rights practitioners, data scientists, and AI experts to explore how artificial intelligence can support efforts to monitor human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Read more

MENA Training GHRP News

Strengthening MENA Engagement with UN Human Rights Mechanisms: Second Edition of our Tailored Training

24 July 2025

Participants from six countries across the Middle East and North Africa region joined our customized training on the Geneva-based United Nations human rights mechanisms

Read more

A general view of participants during of the 33nd ordinary session of the Human Rights Council. Training

The Universal Periodic Review and the UN Human Rights System: Raising the Bar on Accountability

10-14 November 2025

This training course will explore the origin and evolution of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and its functioning in Geneva and will focus on the nature of implementation of the UPR recommendations at the national level.

Read more

First annual conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform Project

The Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform

Started in June 2019

Read more

View of a session of the UN Human Rights Council Project

Human Rights Conversations

Started in January 2020

A series of events aimed at discussing contemporary issues and challenges related to the promotion and protection of human rights in Geneva and beyond.

Read more

Cover of the 2023 Geneva Academy Annual Report Publication

Annual Report 2024

published on July 2025

Read more