AI advancement must never cause exploitation, says human rights lawyer

An Australian human rights lawyer stressed how the integration and advancement of artificial intelligence must never exploit people’s personal information for commercial gain.

According to Professor Edward Santow, a member of the Australian Government’s Artificial Intelligence Expert Group, safety measures must be put in place to build “an atmosphere of trust” with AI on a global scale.

“When we look at artificial intelligence and we see both the extraordinary opportunity for good and the horrifying reality that it also causes harm, we need to give proportionate attention to the harm,” he said.

Santow was speaking at a panel discussion hosted by the Australian Embassy to the Holy See,

It served as a follow-up to the international two-day AI Action Summit in Paris, France, which was held from February 10 to 11.

The professor explained that a good set of rules that “apply to all technologies” must be integrated into already existing values to ensure that human rights are never pushed to the sidelines.

He also called for the just and empowered enforcement of these rules, ensuring that every court, government, and organization around the world upholds human rights laws no matter the technological advancement happening within their systems and sectors.

Furthermore, Santow underscored that establishing a safety net focusing on safety and trustworthiness will not slow down AI development, as many people have been claiming.

Nevertheless, Santow clarified that there is no need for all solutions to be developed and rolled out right away, underlining the need for gradual implementation.

“If we design systems that incorporate AI in ways that don't exploit people's personal information or violate their right to privacy… then we know that will be probably the most effective way of ensuring that, your human rights are upheld,” he said.