Human rights risk being the first victims of the deployment of generative artificial intelligence (AI) by tech giants, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Monday, warning of the “monstrous” potential of such systems.
“Generative AI holds immense potential, but its exploitation for purely political or economic purposes can manipulate, distort and divert attention,” High Commissioner Volker Türk said at a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, stressing that “without adequate safeguards and regulations, AI systems could turn into a modern-day Frankenstein’s monster.”
“The current business model of social media platforms already fuels polarization, extremism and exclusion. Many countries are struggling to stem this phenomenon,” Mr. Türk underlined during a forum on business and human rights.
And if generative AI holds “immense promise”, human rights could “be the first victims”, he said.
The exploitation of this technology “for purely political or economic purposes” poses a threat “to several human rights, including the right to privacy, political participation, freedom of expression and the right to work”.
The High Commissioner warned that these threats “could materialize into harms that undermine the promise of emerging technologies and could lead to unpredictable consequences.”
“It is the responsibility of governments to unite to avoid such a scenario,” insisted Mr. Türk.
Separately, the UN human rights chief highlighted another threat posed by the growing concentration of corporate power and the “massive accumulation of personal and corporate wealth in the hands of a handful of actors.”
“In some cases, it exceeds the economic weight of entire countries,” he said, insisting that when “power is not regulated by law, it can lead to abuse and subjugation.”
