Use new technologies to improve, not dilute, human rights and social issues

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We are familiar with the impact of a fast-spreading and mutating virus on the world, but what we also know with certainty is that technology is equally rapid in its transformation. Starting with the Turing test in the 1960s to test machine intelligence, to the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), technology has now become an omnipresent influence in human lives. This trend will only increase as we are stepping into the era of quantum computing, which can expand both our consciousness and the machine’s ability to interpret it. For this reason, we need to explore how technology intersects with ethics and human rights; and discuss how responsible technology can help protect them.

The advancements in technology may create certain vulnerabilities that can lead to unfavourable outcomes. For example, tracking technologies that aim to curb the spread of Covid-19 may be misused for surveillance activities that may violate the right to privacy. We must harness these same technologies to promote greater security, inclusion, participation, and socio-economic development. The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) put a special emphasis on strengthening human rights, and we must use technology responsibly to achieve these goals. Let us look at how emerging technologies can help us achieve them.

At workplaces, AI-powered language detectors can filter out biased language in job descriptions and also help mitigate biases in hiring processes—promoting the right to fair and decent work. AI-based solutions can also mitigate issues linked to unfair performance reviews, payment gaps, and unfair promotion decisions in the workplace.

IoT (Internet of Things) powered wearables can enhance personal safety by monitoring a person’s critical medical condition. These devices can be designed to send instant notifications when there is a threat to the safety of an individual, ensuring timely help to save lives. Besides this, we can proactively leverage the predictive and monitoring capabilities of such technologies to ensure long-term sustainable rights protection, welfare, and security.

5G could increase surveillance capabilities and help provide more precise geo-location data from IoT devices. Drones can be deployed to better predict harvests and help farmers secure larger incomes. Blockchain technology can increase payment traceability and transparency to help protect people from fraudulent activities. Strong encryption, anonymity, and digital security tools can help defend the safety of people online, as well as promote freedom of expression—especially for vulnerable populations and human rights defenders.

For instance, the exchange of sensitive health information with chatbots needs careful attention and consideration to promote its responsible use in healthcare. The chatbots RESET framework (a World Economic Forum initiative) is an example of how principles of ethics can be incorporated into solution design. The framework carefully selects from AI and healthcare ethics principles and interprets them within the context of the use of chatbots in healthcare. It further operationalises actions for each principle, enabling healthcare providers integrate actions from the framework within their workflows, to promote responsible deployment.

Additionally, to develop human-centred solutions, tech firms need to consider individuals with expertise from multiple disciplines. This can help in decision-making and co‑creating approaches that incorporate human rights into the development and deployment of emerging technologies.

The writer is MD and CEO of Tech Mahindra