AI and the future of human rights

AI and the future of human rights

Author: The Watson School April 2, 2025 Duration: 27:33
Trending Globally: Politics and Policy
NewsEducationScienceSocial

In 2022, OpenAI, Inc. launched a free version of its software ChatGPT, ushering in a new phase in the widespread use of artificial intelligence. Since then, a constant stream of breakthroughs in AI tech by a handful of companies has made clear that artificial intelligence will reshape our planet more profoundly and more quickly than many of us imagined.

Some of these promised changes are thrilling. Just as many, it seems, are terrifying. 

So, how should we think about the impact AI will have on us all, especially when it comes to the most fundamental questions of humanity's shared future? According to Watson Institute Senior Fellow Malika Saada Saar, to make sure AI serves us all, we can’t be too scared of it. In fact, it’s all of our responsibility to use it and understand it. 

“It's important that all of us be able to have curiosity about the technology and to be able to interact with it. Because if the fourth industrial revolution becomes technology that's only utilized by the few, it's very dangerous,” Saar told Dan Richards on this episode of “Trending Globally.” 

Saar is a human rights lawyer who, before coming to Watson, served as the Global Head of Human Rights for YouTube. On this episode, Dan Richards spoke with her about how human rights law intersects with big tech and about the risks and opportunities AI poses for the future of human rights.

Transcript coming soon to our website


From the Watson School at Brown University, Trending Globally: Politics and Policy brings the insights of leading scholars and practitioners directly into your ears. This award-winning podcast digs into the complex forces shaping our world, moving beyond headlines to understand the deeper political and policy decisions behind them. Each conversation is designed to unpack a pressing issue-whether it's international trade tensions, public health crises, or social movements-with clarity and depth. You'll hear experts from the Watson Institute and beyond explain not just what's happening, but why it matters and how different policies might change the course of events. The discussions are grounded in rigorous research yet remain accessible, turning daunting global topics into understandable and engaging dialogue. For anyone curious about the mechanics of power, governance, and societal change, this series offers a vital resource. It’s a direct line to some of the sharpest minds in international and public affairs, all within a format that fits into your daily routine. Find Trending Globally: Politics and Policy and add it to your listening rotation for a consistently informative perspective on the stories that define our time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Official website RSS
Trending Globally: Politics and Policy
Podcast Episodes
From pandemics to misinformation: rethinking security today [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:34
From a once-in-a-century global pandemic, to wars in Europe and the Middle East, to the unchecked rise of AI and social media technologies, we are living in an age of threats against humanity that are profound, fast-movi…
A brief history of US interventionism in Iran and beyond [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:52
On this episode, Dan Richards spoke with Watson School Senior Fellow Stephen Kinzer about the history of U.S. foreign intervention and how it can help us to understand today’s conflict in Iran.Stephen is an award-winning…
How US economic policy is interacting with the global economy today [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:03
On this episode, Watson School Dean and economist John Friedman talks with economist Sebnem Kalemli Ozcan about how U.S. economic policy in the last year has changed the American economy, how those changes have rippled t…
Are human brains wired for war? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:48
Violent, organized conflict is a near constant in human history.But why?Often, large-scale conflicts and wars are explained in material or political terms: humans engaging in conflict over land, resources, or ideologies.…
Challenging the U.S. foreign policy consensus on Taiwan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:45
In October, President Trump and President Xi Jinping met for the first time in Trump’s new presidential term. The meeting ended with commitments from both countries designed to lower trade tensions —– something many obse…
The future of the green transition and the climate movement [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:51
In August 2022 — just over three years ago — the Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law. It represented the largest federal investment in renewable energy and climate action in U.S. history. The bill was a historic…
Inequality and democracy in India, the US, and beyond [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:42
In 2014, Narendra Modi became India’s Prime Minister, marking the beginning of what many experts and international watchgroups identify as a period of democratic erosion in the country. Since then, a number of other demo…

12345...10»