Responsible AI: Using AI for Human Rights

AAAS Center for Scientific Responsibility and Justice

Thursday, December 10, 2020

2:00pm - 2:30pm

This is a virtual event through Facebook Live. You do not need a Facebook account to watch.

Recording

In the past year, we explored a handful of ways artificial intelligence (AI) is impacting society: facial recognition systems, intelligent toys, and health care optimization. We also considered the responsibilities of developers and policymakers associated with emerging technological developments. In this new series on Responsible AI, we are examining the multiple ways in which AI is bringing us to a "new normal," and the potential applications of AI for good.

You do not need a Facebook account to view this event.

Using AI for Human Rights

Episode 06: Coinciding with International Human Rights Day, our last installment in this year's series on Responsible AI will be centered on using AI as a tool for human rights research and documentation. We will examine how AI can be used to build a better world and help us stand up for human rights. This series is supported by Hitachi.

Join us on Facebook on December 10, 2020 at 2:00 PM Eastern for a discussion about AI applications that have the potential to benefit human rights causes. From early warning systems that can detect the likelihood of abuse; to image recognition that can identify and process refugees faster and more efficiently upon seeking asylum; to machine learning tools that scan websites and newsfeeds for human trafficking operations and alert proper authorities, there are a number of ways in which AI might remedy the shortcomings of existing technologies or scientific tools. In this half-hour program we will also consider the risks AI technologies pose to undermining human rights and what steps need to be taken to ensure violations do not occur.

The event will be available via the AAAS and Science Facebook pages.

Recordings from this series are archived on YouTube and made available on the AAAS website.

Participants

Enrique Piracés is the Director of the Technology Program at the Center for Human Rights Science at Carnegie Mellon University. He has been working at the intersection of human rights, science, and technological innovation for nearly two decades. His focus has been both the implications of the use of technology in the context of human rights as well as the opportunities that new scientific and technological developments open for non-governmental organizations and practitioners. Piracés is an advocate for the use of open source technology and a believer in strong crypto as one of the building blocks for human rights documentation and journalistic work. His experience ranges from fact-finding and evidence gathering to data science and digital security.

Megan Price is the Executive Director of the Human Rights Data Analysis Group (HRDAG). She drives the organization’s overarching strategy, leads scientific projects, and presents HRDAG’s work to diverse audiences. Price’s scientific work includes analyzing documents from the National Police Archive in Guatemala and contributing analyses submitted as evidence in multiple court cases in Guatemala. Her work in Syria includes collaborating with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) and Amnesty International on several analyses of conflict-related deaths in that country. She has also contributed to analyses of “risk assessment” models used to make recommendations about pre-trial supervision in the United States.

Jessica Wyndham (Moderator) is the Director of the Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law Program. She also serves as coordinator of the AAAS Science and Human Rights Coalition, a network of scientific, engineering, and health associations that recognize the role of science and technology in human rights. Her areas of expertise include the intersections of science, technology, human rights and ethics, the social responsibilities of scientists and engineers, and the role of professional scientific, engineering and health societies in the promotion and protection of human rights.