RightsX Summit: Human Rights needs Innovation, Innovation needs Human Rights
Professor Roda was invited to speak at the high-level dialogue organized by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights as part of the RightsX Summit. The session focused on the theme “Human Rights Need Innovation; Innovation Needs Human Rights.”
In her remarks, Professor Roda highlighted two key developments that are reshaping the context in which human rights must be protected and promoted.
First, at the level of principles, she argued for moving beyond a simplistic dichotomy that treats machines and data as either perfectly unbiased, secure, and error-free, or as the source of all societal problems. Instead, she emphasized the need to recognize the multiple dimensions involved in current debates on AI, including the quality of the technology, its governance and use, and the physical, social, political, and economic contexts in which it operates. She also called for a more critical examination of the notion of innovation itself, noting that innovation is not inherently beneficial: there are both good and bad innovations.
Second, Professor Roda drew attention to the growing concentration of digital resources (hardware, software, labor, …) which she described as an urgent issue. She explained that this concentration has already led to a loss of control affecting citizens, public and private institutions, and even states, thereby creating significant geopolitical pressures. To address this, she argued for greater plurality in digital offerings, along with increased transparency and openness, as essential steps toward restoring the agency of both citizens and institutions.
Finally, she warned that the current concentration of digital resources poses serious security risks, as a small number of large companies can disrupt, whether intentionally or unintentionally, vital services across multiple countries.