Human Rights and Technology

connectme@
human rights and technology

We are a female-led legal, research and creative initiative dedicated to helping civil society, and creatives to be involved in how we strengthen human rights in an environment of digital technologies for the benefit of EVERYONE.

Connect with us

no homophobia, no violence, no racism, no sexism, yes kindness, yes peace, yes love

We are interested to work with and support individuals and organizations that identify with black, indigenous, people of color (bipoc) and asian communities, battle for equal rights, fight against islamophobia and ableism, work on anti-discrimination, women’s rights, queer rights, and artists that can tell the story

Online surveillance and censorship impact everyone’s rights, and particularly those of already marginalised groups such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer and others (LGBTQ+) people. The use of new technologies usually reinforces existing societal biases, making those communities particularly prone to discrimination and security threats. We need to be aware of what is at stake for LGBTQ+ people in digital and connected spaces.
source: https://edri.org/our-work/the-digital-rights-lgbtq-technology-reinforces-societal-oppressions/

focus

We are interested to work with and support individuals and organizations that identify with black, indigenous, people of color (bipoc) and asian communities, battle for equal rights, fight against islamophobia and ableism, work on anti-discrimination, women’s rights, queer rights, and artists that can tell the story

Join our Movement

How to make Data Driven Technologies work for ALL

Centering Communities in the debate on Data Driven Technologies

Democratic Futures & Global Justice

Research

Readings

Lectures

Our activities

We’re in the kick-off phase, building our network and setting our strategies.

Reading Evening on AI, Hiphop and Discrimination

On July 2 2024 we organized a reading evening on AI and Discrimination. It was an evening to catch up on our reading: What does Hiphop & Rap have to do with AI? We read
Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo. Enongo is a black feminist rapper with a PhD in science and technology studies. Lumumba Kasongo looks into the current claiming of black rappers by artificial intelligence (AI) and the way the history of blackface minstrelsy is connected. Who are the most at risk of being erased within hip-hop culture and on the platforms built by big tech?

connectme@ human rights and technology

Strategy Sunday for Women

June 30th 2024 we welcomed a strategy expert and discussed t how to thrive as women on strategies in various domains.

The results of the research provide strong indications that Meta’s algorithm ensures that vacancies for professions that are historically more often seen as being practiced by men or women are shown gender-selectively. Source: https://clara-wichmann.nl/nieuws/discriminerende-algoritmes-bestrijden-via-het-recht/

The People vs AI

Kick-off Event 28 May 2024

Social Justice in an age of data driven technologies:
What is the role of civil organization and society?

We were pleased and happy that so many of you joined our Kick-off event. This first meeting focused on the very important topic of making sure civil society is engaged in the debate on data driven technologies.

Please find a snapshot of the discussions we were happy to facilitate.

BEING AWARE
Some attendees expressed concerns about AI assessments and individual rights. For example how AI systems assess individuals, often without them being aware. Even when people know their rights, it can be difficult to exercise them due to the complexity of the procedures involved.

THE MAJORITY WORLD
A very important signal was made by involving the topic of people from the Majority World tasked with labeling dangerous or offensive content without psychological support. This raises ethical questions about their well-being and safety.

There were suggestions made for tackling these inequalities. Policy guidelines must be established to guarantee psychological support and a safe working environment for labelers. Clear legal frameworks should also be developed to help individuals understand and exercise their rights when AI systems assess them.

THE DIGITAL DIVIDE
Also the digital divide was flagged. There is a significant gap between those who understand AI and those who do not, creating a digital divide. Additionally, AI systems can make decisions that are not objective, even though a big group of users may believe AI is always neutral.

AI KNOWLEDGE
Therefore it was suggested to have AI knowledge accessibility expanded to ensure that everyone understands how inequality can be exacerbated by AI. Some attendees emphasized that transparency in AI systems is also needed so users know how decisions are made, for example, through explainability models and transparent AI design.

WHO SETS THE STANDARDS?
An important question was raised namely : who sets the standards for assessing AI? This requires a broad conversation involving various stakeholders from different sectors and disciplines.

COLLABORATION
We also looked at the collaboration between societal organizations and disciplines.

There are various societal organizations and disciplines that need to be involved in the conversation about AI. Solidarity and collaboration are essential to identify and address risks, especially for underrepresented groups.

An interdisciplinary approach is needed, bringing together different knowledge areas and perspectives. This means that scientists, policymakers, communities, and underrepresented groups should all have a voice. Concrete actions and policies should result from these collaborations, such as policy development that encourages social media and public discussions.

We concluded our discussions:

There are major challenges in the application of AI and its impact on different groups in society. Creating ethically responsible AI systems requires broader awareness, interdisciplinary collaboration, and clear legal frameworks. Additionally, measures must be taken to close the digital divide, ensuring that everyone has equal access to AI knowledge and the opportunity to influence how this technology is used.