President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday said the human rights discourse so far has been centred on the “human agency” as the violator is assumed to be a human but with AI entering our lives, the “culprit could be a non-human” but an intelligent agent.   In her address at an event hosted by the NHRC to mark the Human Rights Day, the President also underlined that cyber crimes and climate change are “new threats” to human rights.

Human Rights Day is observed on December 10 every year to commemorate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which was adopted and proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. The UDHR serves as a global benchmark for the protection and promotion of human rights. “As we progress into the future, we are confronted with emerging challenges. Cyber crimes and climate change are new threats to human rights,” Murmu said. The digital era, while being transformative, had brought with it complex issues such as cyber bullying, deep fake, privacy concerns and spread of misinformation, she added. “These challenges underscore the importance of fostering a safe, secure and equitable digital environment that protect the rights and dignity of every individual,” the President said. In her address, she also touched upon the aspect of AI and its impact on human lives. “Artificial intelligence has now entered our day-to-day life, solving many problems, and creating several new ones too,” Murmu said. The human rights discourse so far has been “centred on the human agency”, that is the violator is assumed to be a human being, who would have a “range of human emotions such as compassion and guilt,” she said. “With AI, however, the culprit could be a non-human but intelligent agent. I leave the matter for you to ponder over,” the President said.