Artificial intelligence (AI) is a new technology with profound implications for law, its practice, and our definitions of legal rights. This presentation examines how generative AI, particularly through its use of large language models like ChatGPT, may affect the social practice of human rights.

AI language models are computer programs that are trained by reading billions of pages of materials available through the internet and, through brute processing, is able to provide information about the relationships between the language derived from this raw, language-based data. Through this process, the program can provide users with valuable written information with summaries, analyses, and predictions based on the data it is being fed. As a result, the biases and cultural values embedded in the data used by AI language models is reflected and potentially amplified in its results. In terms of the concept of “human rights”, AI has the dangerous potential to distort or exclude non-dominant cultures from the defining and understanding of these rights.

This presentation will build on research that has identified the problems of a digital divide and the colonialization of “big data.” It will also examine the concepts of “data sovereignty” and the need for “decolonializing” of new technologies. International instruments provide guidance, as reflected in the 2016 U.N. General Assembly Article 19 resolution on internet access, the Sustainable Development Framework, and the UNESCO concept of “internet universality.”

As AI shapes our language and ultimately our culture, researchers and practitioners of human rights must intensely study, monitor, and take a leading role in regulating these new technologies. Through proper regulation, AI provides the possibility of exciting new ways to find a shared, international rhetoric of human rights that facilitates understanding, empathy, and equity across cultures. But, as one scholar notes, “We should regulate AI before it regulates us.”

This paper explores the internet’s transformative potential in combating poverty in Africa and enhancing development by enabling the exchange of goods and services. The paper aims to demonstrate how new technologies empower individuals, entrepreneurs, and communities to surpass historical limitations and drive economic growth within and beyond the continent. The study focuses on a few key areas. First, it examines the impact of enhanced digital connectivity and access on economic opportunities and poverty reduction in Africa, including initiatives to promote digital literacy. Second, it investigates e-commerce platforms' growth and capacity to connect African entrepreneurs and businesses with regional and global markets. Third, the paper evaluates the importance of digital skills in promoting entrepreneurship and job creation, considering initiatives to enhance digital literacy and empower individuals to utilize online platforms for income generation. Lastly, it investigates the potential of the internet to facilitate cross-border trade and collaboration among African countries, examining the impact of digital platforms on regional integration, trade facilitation, and overall economic growth. By conducting a comprehensive analysis of these areas, the study provides insights and recommendations for policymakers, international organizations, and stakeholders interested in harnessing the power of the internet to transform Africa's development. The paper emphasizes the imperative of embracing new technologies and the digital revolution to unlock Africa’s vast potential, foster inclusive economic growth, and create a prosperous future for its people.

This study builds on years of research by Global Voices on the intersection between authoritarianism, lawfare and digital technologies. The central thesis holds that it is not that Zimbabwe is incapable of being democratic but rather, owing to political expediency, has chosen not to be, creating a hostile environment for digital and human rights instead. Systematic looting and mortgaging of mineral resources to countries like China and Russia over decades have created a haven for institutionalized corruption and more importantly, a culture of impunity, intolerance for dissenting voices and disregard for free and fair electoral processes. Digital authoritarianism manifests itself in the form of crackdowns on the press and free expression by citizens on digital communication platforms. The government continues to craft a series of repressive policies and laws aimed at whittling down civic space, against the letter and spirit of rights enshrined in the 2013 constitution. The laws have had a chilling effect on the media and led to self-censorship on matters of public interest, as various acts of speech are criminalized.