White rays of light are depicted from below.

Artificial Intelligence

Active Project

The emergence and rapid evolution of artificial intelligence technologies presents both threats and opportunities to global human rights. The Human Rights Center has worked to monitor and advise on these issues since the emergence of these technologies. We regularly consult with companies on the human rights implications of their AI-based technologies. At UC Berkeley, we played a leading role in the Presidential Working Group on Artificial Intelligence, including co-chairing the Human Resources Subcommittee. We created and continue to chair the International Criminal Court’s Technology Advisory Board, to help the Court grapple with the role of new and emerging technologies in seeking accountability for international crimes.

Partners

Logo of Human Rights Center UC Berkeley School of Law
UNICEF logo
Microsoft logo
International Criminal Court logo

Memorandum on Artificial Intelligence and Child Rights

As a partner in the Generation AI initiative, HRC spent the fall 2018 and spring 2019 semesters researching how artificial intelligence technologies are being used in ways that impact children at home, at school, and at play. After reviewing and identifying the disparate child rights that might be disproportionately impacted, both positively and negatively, by its use, the team drafted a memo exploring the potential impacts AI is having and may have on children. HRC provided a series of case studies to illustrate the various ways that artificial intelligence-based technologies are beginning to positively and negatively impact children’s rights, and spotlit critical questions that researchers, corporations, governments, educators and parents should be asking today in order to better promote children’s rights and protect children from negative consequences tomorrow.

An illustration of a young boy kicking a ball against a background of computer code and school reports.
Illustration by UNICEF Innovation / Tushar Ghei.

Conferences on Business, Technology, and Human Rights

In collaboration with Microsoft, we co-hosted four conferences with the Center for Responsible Business at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business that explored the social and economic impact of Artificial Intelligence.

News

Alexa Koenig leading the panel discussion

September 30, 2021

AI and Human Rights

HRC in the News — Youtube: “AI and Human Rights” panel discussion (video), moderated by Alexa Koenig.

April 29, 2019

AI for Social Impact: Designing for More Inclusive Artificial Intelligence

HRC in the News — Berkeley Haas’ Center for Responsible Business Blog: AI for Social Impact: Designing for More Inclusive Artificial Intelligence, reflecting on the 2019 ‘Artificial Intelligence