Moroccan Rights Chief Urges Human-Centred AI Policies Amid Digital Risks

Amina Bouayach, who leads Morocco’s National Human Rights Council and also chairs the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, has issued a stark warning about the dangers of irresponsible artificial intelligence and digital technology use. She called for human rights to be placed at the heart of policies and legislation that govern how these technologies are developed and deployed.

Speaking on 14 October at the opening of a high-level international conference on human rights in the digital age and artificial intelligence in Athens, Bouayach said rapid technological progress was placing increasing demands on governments and national and international bodies responsible for protecting rights and freedoms.

The Promise and Peril of AI

Artificial intelligence offers major opportunities to enhance public services, make it easier for people to access their rights and promote social inclusion, especially for those who encounter obstacles in reaching essential services, she noted. However, these benefits come alongside dangers that technology could widen existing inequalities, introduce fresh types of discrimination and erode fundamental rights, she added.

Human rights are universal and must be safeguarded in the digital sphere just as in other areas of life, Bouayach stated. The central challenge, she said, rests in the political and legal decisions that shape how digital systems are designed, built and used, and whether sufficient protections exist to shield individuals from possible violations.

Deepfakes, Biased Algorithms and Privacy

Bouayach highlighted the threats from disinformation and deepfakes, which can make it harder for people to obtain trustworthy information and tell genuine content from fabricated material. These worries are intensifying as tools that can generate images, audio recordings and videos become more advanced and harder to verify, she said.

She also cautioned that biased algorithms could replicate or deepen already existing discrimination when artificial intelligence systems depend on unbalanced datasets or unfair criteria. She demanded preventive measures to ensure equality and non-discrimination are respected in the creation and use of such systems.

The Moroccan human rights chief raised concerns about the extensive deployment of facial recognition technology, particularly its implications for personal data protection and the right to privacy. Applications that could affect individual freedoms need clear rules, effective oversight and accountability mechanisms, she said.

She added that algorithmic systems used to process personal data or make decisions affecting people’s social and legal circumstances must be subject to safeguards against discrimination and unjust outcomes.

Call for Human Oversight and Accountability

Bouayach called for clear responsibilities to be assigned to the various parties involved in developing and operating artificial intelligence systems. She also stressed the need for human oversight of AI-generated decisions to ensure that technical complexity does not become an excuse for weakening accountability or denying affected individuals access to remedies.

Human rights protections, she said, should be incorporated from the earliest stages of digital system design and maintained throughout development, deployment and use. This requires regular human rights impact assessments, identification of potential risks before systems are introduced, and continued monitoring of their effects once they are in operation.

Bouayach also said authorities should be prepared to restrict or reconsider the use of certain applications when their serious risks cannot be adequately controlled, particularly when continued operation could threaten human dignity, privacy or equality.

She emphasised the importance of effective accountability and redress mechanisms for people harmed by AI systems, allowing responsibility to be established, violations addressed and legal protections upheld.

National human rights institutions have an important role to play in monitoring the digital transition, she said, including by identifying potential violations, issuing opinions and recommendations to the relevant authorities, and helping shape legislation and public policies in line with international human rights standards.

These institutions must help translate international human rights commitments into practical and measurable measures, while strengthening their capacity to monitor the impact of emerging technologies, particularly in areas where algorithms are increasingly used to make decisions or process personal data.

Protecting Human Dignity Across the AI Supply Chain

Bouayach also drew attention to the social and human dimensions of artificial intelligence, including the people involved in training digital systems and keeping them operational. This includes content moderators and data-labeling workers, whose work is essential to the development of AI technologies but can take place in different regions of the world. Their rights and dignity must also be protected, she said, stressing that human rights obligations should cover every stage of technology production and operation, including the working conditions involved in preparing datasets and reviewing content.

Realising artificial intelligence’s potential requires governance grounded in respect for fundamental rights, clear guarantees of transparency and human oversight, and continued assessment of how digital innovation affects different social groups, particularly those most exposed to discrimination and exclusion.

As digital systems become more widely used to deliver services and make decisions, unequal access to technology and uneven exposure to its risks remain important concerns, she said.

Technological progress must serve people, Bouayach stressed, and be accompanied by safeguards to prevent violations of fundamental freedoms and the deepening of social inequalities. Human responsibility must remain central throughout the development and use of intelligent systems.

Concluding her remarks, Bouayach said that “commitment to human rights is not optional,” calling for technological innovation to advance justice, inclusion and access to rights without becoming a source of further discrimination or violations of fundamental freedoms.