Human rights, datafication, and the democratic governance of AI

Molly K. Land and Wendy H. Wong

Chapter 24 in Handbook on the Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence, 2026, pp 421-434 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: The proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies gives rise to a host of problems that seem to confound existing institutions and mechanisms of governance. This chapter focuses on how international human rights law can advance global efforts to govern AI. We argue that a human-rights-based approach requires us to address not only the harms of AI – the outputs – but also its inputs: data and values. First, we argue that the data that power AI ought to be considered a human rights issue. Second, we argue that the design of AI technologies must be democratically directed. By requiring states to allow public participation on the inputs and uses of AI, the human right to science and technology offers a framework that is both prospective and remedial and which addresses not only the individual but also the systemic risks that AI poses for human rights.

Keywords: Human Rights; Datafication; Data; Right To Science; Participation; Artificial Intelligence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035338573
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