The International Protection of Human Rights in the Digital Age and its Impact on International Responsibility

Abstract

It is undeniable that AI technologies have generated great benefits, particularly by enhancing the efficiency, accuracy, timeliness, and convenience with which many services are provided, and in so doing, can be understood as enhancing the practical reach and extending enjoyment of human rights and freedoms. For example, without the use of AI-driven search engines, the massive volume of information now available via the internet would not be practically useful and accessible, thus enhancing the right to freedom of information (protected under Article 10 of the European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms).

However, the ‘AI boom’ has been accompanied by rising public anxiety concerning the potential damaging effects of these technologies for individuals and for society in general. Accordingly, the focus of this research is on the potential adverse consequences of these technologies, particularly in so far as they might impede the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, by focusing on the implications for the concept of responsibility and its application. For this purpose, it considers adverse effects, both intended and unintended, arising from the development and use of AI that can be understood as bearing directly upon the enjoyment of human rights and freedoms.