AI and Human Rights: Professor Yuval Shany on AI, Law, and Global Accountability
Accelerating AI EthicsShow Notes
Episode summary How can human rights frameworks keep pace with the rapid development and global impact of artificial intelligence? In this episode of Accelerating AI Ethics, Professor Yuval Shany, a leading international law scholar and 2024–25 Fellow of the Accelerator Fellowship Programme at the Institute for Ethics in AI, University of Oxford, explores how legal systems can help ensure AI supports, rather than threatens, fundamental rights. In conversation with Dr Caroline Green, Professor Shany considers the case for an AI Bill of Rights, the challenge of regulating powerful private actors, and how international law might evolve to meet the demands of a technological era. This timely and far-reaching conversation addresses the legal, ethical, and democratic foundations of AI governance. Professor Yuval Shany Hersch Lauterpacht Chair in Public International Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, former Chair of the United Nations Human Rights Committee, and 2024–25 Fellow of the Accelerator Fellowship Programme at the Institute for Ethics in AI, University of Oxford. Professor Shany’s research focuses on international law, human rights, and the regulation of emerging technologies. Topics covered The rationale for an AI Bill of Rights Emerging gaps between private technological power and public oversight Why international law is still a vital tool for AI governance Balancing innovation and legitimacy in legal frameworks Opportunities and constraints in current human rights instruments How democratic accountability must be embedded into the design of AI systems
Resources and links European Commission – Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA) U.S. Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights OECD AI Principles Council of Europe – Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAI) UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence United Nations Human Rights Committeent...
Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
More from Accelerating AI Ethics
This conversation was recorded in March this year in McLeod Ganj, near Dharamsala, India, during a trip by Dr Caroline Emmer de Albuquerque Green https://www.oxford-aiethics.ox.ac.uk/caroline-emmer-de-albuquerque-green , Director of Research at the Institute for Ethics in AI, together with Ambassador Audrey Tang https://afp.oxford-aiethics.ox.ac.uk/people/ambassador-audrey-tang and their collaborator Tenzin Yangtso, to learn from the Tibetan Buddhist community about their approach to the ethics of AI.
In this podcast, Communications and Liaison Manager of the Institute for Ethics in AI, Cristina Bratu, speaks with Dr Caroline Emmer de Albuquerque Green, Director of Research at the Institute for Ethics in AI, about her trip to India: exploring Buddhist ethics, Civic AI and compassion, meeting the Dalai Lama and how human values can guide ethical AI in a changing world.
In this episode Dr Caroline Green from Oxford's Institute for Ethics in AI speaks to Professor Alondra Nelson about the social foundations of AI governance and thick alignment, a broader approach to aligning artificial intelligence with human values. Professor Nelson reflects on her interdisciplinary career bridging science, social research, and policy, including her role in developing the White House Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights. She discusses how public engagement, trust, and clear communication are essential for ensuring that AI systems serve society rather than deepen existing inequalities. Together, they explore the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in AI ethics and governance, highlighting the risks of deploying powerful technologies without meaningful public dialogue. The conversation examines emerging challenges such as emotional relationships with AI chatbots, the role of governments and companies in shaping responsible innovation, and how inclusive policymaking can help align AI development with democratic values and the public good.
In this episode Dr Caroline Green from Oxford's Institute for Ethics in AI speaks to Dr Joy Buolamwini and Angela Oduor Lungati, Executive Director of Ushahidi, about building ethical, community-centered AI from Africa and beyond. Angela discusses her work leading Ushahidi, an open-source platform used globally to crowdsource crisis and human rights data, and how community-generated knowledge can shape more inclusive and context-aware AI systems.Joy reflects on her journey from uncovering bias in facial recognition systems to founding the Algorithmic Justice League, sharing how her research - featured in the documentary Coded Bias - exposes the social harms embedded in AI. Together, they explore women’s leadership in technology, the importance of grassroots voices in shaping AI governance, and the need for data justice, language representation, and accountability across the AI supply chain. The conversation highlights Kenya’s national AI strategy, Africa’s growing role as a builder - not just consumer - of AI, and the environmental and labour impacts of AI infrastructure. The episode closes with reflections on creativity, humanity, and the role of art in guiding responsible innovation.
In this episode of Accelerating AI Ethics from Oxford’s Institute for Ethics in AI, Dr Caroline Green speaks with Professor Ignacio Cofone, Professor of AI Law and Regulation, about his book The Privacy Fallacy: Harm and Power in the Information Economy. They discuss why today’s consent-based privacy laws are ill-suited to an AI-driven data economy, how data harms are often relational rather than individual, and why focusing on data use - rather than data collection - is key to preventing exploitation while enabling innovation. The conversation also explores power dynamics in the tech ecosystem, harm liability, and what meaningful reform of data protection law could look like in the age of AI.