AI in the age of COVID-19: an opportunity for innovation or inescapable risk to human rights

Abstract : The past year has accelerated the development and use of data driven technologies in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Some of these uses requires the collection and use of personal data and sharing of data across private, public, non-profit institutions and borders. Policy makers, practitioners and academics have been debating regulation and developing principles for responsible AI innovation over the years. Whilst those conversations and efforts persist, development and deployment has continued. As Governments across the globe have enacted new legislation to allow for new measures and a lax in potential data protection standards to allow for innovation to aid governments and agencies to tackle covid-19, there is concern raised on issues including: privacy, data protection, discrimination, and mission creep. This pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated existing inequalities, and potentially given rise to new nexuses of inequalities whether they be health, socio-economic, covid-19 specific, access to resources, digital divide. AI involves opportunities and risks. Principles of proportionality and necessity, good and global governance, can provide a basis and bounds to consider and enable responsible innovation during a public health or public safety emergency and beyond. In this talk we will explore the opportunities of responsible data and AI innovation such that it is a benefit for all, minimises harm, preserves privacy and enables trustworthiness.