AI and Human Rights: The Balance between Technology and Personal Freedom

In the era of artificial intelligence, the question of human rights is taking on new and complex nuances. If, on the one hand, technologies based on AI offer powerful tools to improve the safety, health, and social efficiency, on the other, raising profound questions on the respect of individual liberties and privacy protection.

One of the areas most delicate is the digital surveillance. Facial recognition systems, predictive analysis, collection, and mass of biometric data: the IA allows you to monitor populations on a scale never seen before. This ability can be used for legitimate purposes, such as prevention of crimes or the management of health emergencies. However, without appropriate limits and controls, is in danger of becoming a tool of social control is pervasive.

As we have discussed in the article “Surveillance and Artificial Intelligence: Who Controls Whom?”the real problem is not only technical, but political: who is managing the data? Who decides how they are used? Without transparency and accountability, even the most advanced systems can affect fundamental rights such as freedom of expression, movement and association.

In terms of privacy, artificial intelligence raises the radical challenges. Algorithms capable of crossing billions of different data can be reconstructed digital identity is complete, without the express consent of the individuals. The legislation, like the GDPR in Europe, represent a first attempt of protection by imposing requirements on transparency, data minimisation, and rights of access and deletion. However, many regulations are inadequate to cope with the speed with which these technologies are evolving, leaving grey areas in the most innovative sectors, such as the recognition of emotional, predictive analysis, and aggregation of data from unconventional sources. Serves a regulatory approach, dynamic, and global, able to constantly update themselves and to anticipate the risks, not to chase them to the rear.

Secondo recenti iniziative delle Nazioni Unite, la crescita dell’intelligenza artificiale rende urgente una revisione dei diritti digitali a livello globale, affinché la dignità umana resti il principio guida nello sviluppo tecnologico. Le Nazioni Unite hanno adottato la prima risoluzione globale sull’IA, sottolineando l’importanza di proteggere i dati personali e monitorare i rischi associati all’IA. Inoltre, un rapporto del gruppo consultivo ad alto livello del Segretario Generale ha raccomandato la creazione di istituzioni inclusive per regolamentare la tecnologia, basandosi su principi radicati nei diritti umani. Queste iniziative evidenziano la necessità di audit obbligatori sui sistemi di IA ad alto rischio, limiti chiari all’uso della sorveglianza algoritmica e strumenti efficaci di tutela legale per i cittadini. Inoltre, invitano gli Stati a promuovere una maggiore alfabetizzazione digitale tra i cittadini, affinché siano consapevoli dei propri diritti e dei meccanismi di protezione disponibili. La sfida non è solo tecnologica, ma culturale: occorre costruire una società che conosca e sappia difendere il valore della privacy e della libertà nell’ecosistema digitale. Reuters

The artificial intelligence is not inherently hostile to human rights. Rather, it could become a powerful ally in the promotion of gender equality, access to justice, democratic participation. But to realize this potential it is necessary to a robust regulatory framework, a culture of accountability and constant vigilance of civil society.

The future of human rights in the era of AI will depend on the choices that we make today. To protect the personal freedom does not mean renouncing the technology, but govern with intelligence, transparency, and respect the dignity of every individual.