Untangling the links between technology and human rights
We use technology every day, but do all technologies treat us equally?
How can we ensure human rights are upheld in the design and development of new technologies, as well as by the products, services and facilities that rely on them?
The problem
Emerging technologies are delivering huge benefits to industry and society, from improving our health care system to tackling the impacts of climate change. But there’s a darker side to the technological revolution: poorly designed technologies can exclude already marginalised people, while the rise of artificial intelligence and its capacity for autonomous decision-making is rife with potential for harm.
In Australia, embedding human rights considerations at the core of emerging technologies is key to upholding our human rights commitments. But how can we do it – and who decides what is appropriate?
The opportunity
This was an opportune moment for UTS and Australian thought leaders in human rights and technology to collaboratively plan and design approaches to solving these big challenges.
That’s when the UTS Design Innovation Research Centre, the Centre for Social Justice and Inclusion and the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) got together to develop a human rights approach to emerging technologies.
More than 30 UTS academics and AHRC staff, including then Commissioner Ed Santow, worked together using innovation and design-led methodologies to explore the problem and move towards solutions. The group identified a set of aspirations for the future of human rights and artificial intelligence (AI), developing four general principles to guide future recommendations:
· Transdisciplinary
· Social justice and inclusion
· Education and technology literacy
· Design-led thinking.
The impact
UTS is now actively progressing research applications, collaborations and teaching proposals for projects that respond to these recommended actions. UTS is also leading a human rights masterclass with NSW Government staff and designing capability courses to be delivered in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand on behalf of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to help local departments in those countries discuss the issues around the use of ethical AI.
This work sends a strong message to state and federal governments about the need to develop a strategic approach to adopting new technologies in Australia. Specifically, governments must consider the impact of technologies like AI on the safety of Australian citizens, rather than just adopting international technologies that might be detrimental in an Australian context.
Where to next?
Interested in learning more about how this problem was solved?
Check out our two free, self-paced online case studies:
Human Rights and Emerging Technologies: An Interdisciplinary Approach, and
Human Right Rights and Emerging Technologies: Research and Capacity Building.
These case studies demonstrate how design-led innovation can be used to address this challenge.
Could your organisation be making better use of design-led innovation techniques?
Find out more about co-designing learning on these important topics.
Looking to upskill or reskill?
Enrol in a UTS microcredential or short course.
