Experts Discuss the Role of Human Rights in AI Governance

9 June 2022

As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly becomes more pervasive, norms and processes for its governance are being developed at pace. At present there is a proliferation of initiatives, with over 170 sets of principles on AI ethics, many countries considering regulation, and some international organisations adopting normative frameworks. Many of these initiatives make no or only passing reference to human rights.

At a roundtable organised by Chatham House and hosted by our Geneva Human Rights Platform, experts addressed the role of human rights in AI governance, how to ensure that the international human rights framework is properly integrated into new regulatory frameworks, as well as the role of human rights communities in these processes.

‘This is both a fascinating and challenging subject that really tests our capacity to ensure that new technologies – that evolve almost daily – do not undermine our human rights and are framed by relevant regulatory frameworks’ explains Felix Kirchmeier, Executive Director of the Geneva Human Rights Platform.

‘This meeting – part of the Chatham House project on Human Rights Pathways that brings together academics, diplomats, civil society, corporate actors and representatives of international organizations – is key to meeting this challenge. In our upcoming report, we will reflect on the inputs from all those stakeholders’, says Chanu Peiris, Assistant Director of the International Law at The Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House).

Ensuring that Human Rights and Tech Discussions don’t Take Place in Separate Worlds

Experts notably addressed key questions like the appropriate role of human rights in AI governance, whether human rights help to streamline and concretise AI ethics and regulation, as well as whether human rights have sufficient scope to address the challenges of AI.

‘We had in-depth discussions on the processes that government and companies should follow in order to meet AI human rights standards, ranging from the prohibition of troubling forms of AI, to review mechanisms such as assurance, audit, and oversight, to the transparency of AI and remedies for harms’ explains Felix Kirchmeier.

Key issues in these processes are how human rights communities – at the international organisation, governmental, and civil society levels – can play an effective role in the development of AI governance, as well as how to ensure that the human rights discussions and tech discussions don’t take place in ‘separate but parallel’ worlds he adds.

A Larger Research at the Geneva Academy

This discussion echoes research conducted at the Geneva Academy – in partnership with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights B-Tech Project and the Geneva Science-Policy Interface – that facilitates a multistakeholder consultative process to identify knowledge gaps, generate new evidence and co-design evidence-based tools to support regulatory and policy responses to human rights challenges linked to digital technologies.

MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

A GHRP training course News

Training Opportunities 2025: Engage with UN Human Rights Mechanisms

28 January 2025

The Geneva Human Rights Platform is launching its 2025 training programme, designed to empower stakeholders engaging with UN human rights system.

Read more

GHRP Diplomat Training News

Strengthening Diplomacy: GHRP Training Course Enhances Engagement with UN Human Rights

5 February 2025

The GHRP’s annual training equipped 19 diplomats with key insights into the UN Human Rights Council’s mechanisms and multilateral processes.

Read more

Warzone Event

Advanced IHL Seminar for Academics and Policymakers

25-29 August 2025, 09:00-17:30

Co-hosted with the ICRC, this event aims to enhance the capacity of academics to teach and research international humanitarian law, while also equipping policymakers with an in-depth understanding of ongoing legal debates.

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

Universal Declaration of Human Rights Booklet Training

The International Human Rights Standards and System: Monitoring and Implementation Strategies at the National Level

7-11 July 2025

This training course will delve into the means and mechanisms through which national actors can best coordinate their human rights monitoring and implementation efforts, enabling them to strategically navigate the UN human rights system and use the various mechanisms available in their day-to-day work.

Read more

A destroyed camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Khor Abeche, South Darfur, Project

Understanding the Relationship between Conflict, Security and the Human Right to a Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment

Started in May 2023

This project will develop guidance to inform security, human rights and environmental debates on the linkages between environmental rights and conflict, and how their better management can serve as a tool in conflict prevention, resilience and early warning.

Read more

Project

The Lake Room Initiative (Space for Dialogue)

Started in February 2024

Read more

Cover of the publication Publication

Briefing N° 25: Localizing Multilateralism

published on March 2025

Domenico Zipoli, Ludovica Chiussi Curzi, Kamelia Kemileva

Read more

Cover page of the working paper Publication

AI Decoded: Key Concepts and Applications of Artificial Intelligence for Human Rights and SDG Monitoring

published on January 2025

Milica Mirkovic, Jennifer Victoria Scurrell

Read more