Professor Yuval Shany during his Fellowship researched how our human rights laws can be adapted to keep up with the times. He undertook consultations with leading human rights centres across four continents, research which made clear that the world could greatly benefit from an international AI Bill of Human Rights.
Professor Shany wrote: “We are rushing headlong into an AI-driven future, but our legal protections – which should potentially offer a principled and effective set of guardrails – remain stuck in the past. The adoption of an international AI bill of human rights would support public confidence in the development and deployment of AI systems, and could reduce legal uncertainty regarding the applicable duties and responsibilities of AI companies and government regulators."
Access to AI - people should have access to safe, reliable AI tools, and related technologies.
Privacy protections against harmful uses of AI - people should be protected from uses of AI systems for mass data capture and surveillance and for circumventing existing privacy protections.
Freedom from algorithmic bias and unfairness - systems should be designed to prevent discrimination, including profiling and the perpetuation of existing inequalities.
Transparency and explainability - people should know when AI is used and receive meaningful, understandable explanations of how AI contributed to decisions affecting their rights.
Protection from algorithmic manipulation - AI systems must not be deceitful and exploitative of vulnerabilities and cognitive bias; nor should they steer decisions and conduct ways that undermine autonomy, dignity or rational deliberation.
Human decision and a human-to-human interaction - individuals should be able to opt out of fully automated decision-making when important issues are at stake and retain access to meaningful human oversight and human-to-human interaction.
Accountability for harms caused by the use of AI systems - when AI causes harm, responsibility ought to be identified and effective remedies provided.
These rights are practical and seek to protect our very ability to develop and use AI systems in ethical and safe ways compatible with human wellbeing, in ways that minimise harm and meet standards of fairness and justice.
They codify what people reasonably expect: to benefit from innovation without surrendering their freedom, equality and dignity; to understand how important decisions are made; to challenge mistakes and violations; and to interact with humans when it matters. They also help innovators by setting up clear expectations of guardrails necessary to protect individual entitlements.
