The speed of technological development, from cell phones to artificial intelligence, opens up exciting new opportunities for promoting human flourishing. It also raises grave risks, threatening not only personal privacy and dignity but also our collective survival. Technologies of Human Rights Representation brings together three fields of research critical to securing our future: changing technologies, human rights, and representation. For each of these fields, this book asks key questions: How can we open the black box of technological advances so that we can more fully understand their effects upon our lives? What can we do to make sure that these effects align with the values of human rights? And how does the way we talk about technology and rights—from military reports and corporate marketing to human rights reports and poetry—amplify or diminish our capacity both to understand and to control what happens next? Contributors from anthropology, communications, criminology, global studies, law, literary and cultural studies, and women and gender studies bring diverse methodological approaches to these crucial questions.

What is the state of current European governance on new and emerging technologies, and where is it going? What is, and what can be, the role of human rights in governance arrangements? These are the main questions that this book answers for both European and non-European scholars. It provides a wide picture of current European governance, notably in biotechnology, nanotechnology and synthetic biology, and discusses the model of Responsible Research and Innovation, which is gaining popularity within the European Union, under a human rights perspective. It shows how human rights can contribute to governance frameworks without posing obstacles to research and innovation. The theory presented in the book is followed by practical guidelines drawn from human rights law. Starting from the Strasbourg Court jurisprudence, it provides a complete review of the wide range of rights that the European Convention on Human Rights protects in light of the challenges of techno-scientific advances. This analysis will come in handy for private actors, policymakers, regulators, as well as judges in solving hard cases raised by techno-scientific progress in the future.

People with mental disorders often suffer the worst conditions of life.This book is the first comprehensive survey of the mental health/human rights relationship. It examines the relationships and histories of mental health and human rights, and their interconnections with law, culture, ethnicity, class, economics, biology, and stigma.

In this controversial critical analysis of Canada's anti-discrimination policy, the author addresses doubts

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the latest technological evolution which is transforming the global economy and is a major part of the “Fourth Industrial Revolution.” This book covers the meaning, types, subfields and applications of AI, including U.S. governmental policies and regulations, ethical and privacy issues, particularly as they pertain and affect facial recognition programs and the Internet-of Things (IoT). There is a lengthy analysis of bias, AI’s effect on the current and future job market, and how AI precipitated fake news. In addition, the text covers basics of intellectual property rights and how AI will transform their protection. The author then moves on to explore international initiatives from the European Union, China’s New Generation Development Plan, other regional areas, and international conventions. The book concludes with a discussion of super intelligence and the question and applicability of consciousness in machines. The interdisciplinary scope of the text will appeal to any scholars, students and general readers interested in the effects of AI on our society, particularly in the fields of STS, economics, law and politics.

Disability, Human Rights, and Information Technology addresses the global issue of equal access to information and communications technology (ICT) by persons with disabilities. The right to access the same digital content at the same time and at the same cost as people without disabilities is implicit in several human rights instruments and is featured prominently in Articles 9 and 21 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The right to access ICT, moreover, invokes complementary civil and human rights issues: freedom of expression; freedom to information; political participation; civic engagement; inclusive education; the right to access the highest level of scientific and technological information; and participation in social and cultural opportunities. Despite the ready availability and minimal cost of technology to enable people with disabilities to access ICT on an equal footing as consumers without disabilities, prevailing practice around the globe continues to result in their exclusion. Questions and complexities may also arise where technologies advance ahead of existing laws and policies, where legal norms are established but not yet implemented, or where legal rights are defined but clear technical implementations are not yet established. At the intersection of human-computer interaction, disability rights, civil rights, human rights, international development, and public policy, the volume's contributors examine crucial yet underexplored areas, including technology access for people with cognitive impairments, public financing of information technology, accessibility and e-learning, and human rights and social inclusion. Contributors: John Bertot, Peter Blanck, Judy Brewer, Joyram Chakraborty, Tim Elder, Jim Fruchterman, G. Anthony Giannoumis, Paul Jaeger, Sanjay Jain, Deborah Kaplan, Raja Kushalnagar, Jonathan Lazar, Fredric I. Lederer, Janet E. Lord, Ravi Malhotra, Jorge Manhique, Mirriam Nthenge, Joyojeet Pal, Megan A. Rusciano, David Sloan, Michael Ashley Stein, Brian Wentz, Marco Winckler, Mary J. Ziegler.

Intergovernmental agencies, governments, and non-governmental organizations are now using Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) to collect, organize, and disseminate information on peoples’ rights, the promotion of human rights, and the protection of individuals and communities at risk. Human Rights and Information Communication Technologies: Trends and Consequences of Use will provide a comprehensive examination of the use and application of information and communication technologies in the world of human rights. This will contribute significantly to understandings of the impact of ICTs on the promotion and protection of human rights in societies around the world. This book will provide a valuable tool and insight for academics from a range of fields, including information management, information systems, communications, information technology, international relations, human rights, politics, law, and sociology. It will also be useful to international non-governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, and governments for policy and practice.

Research on and with digital technologies is everywhere today. This timely, authoritative Handbook explores the issues of rapid technological development, social change, and the ubiquity of computing technologies which have become an integrated part of people′s everyday lives. This is a comprehensive, up-to-date resource for the twenty-first century. It addresses the key aspects of research within the digital technology field and provides a clear framework for readers wanting to navigate the changeable currents of digital innovation. Main themes include: - Introduction to the field of contemporary digital technology research - New digital technologies: key characteristics and considerations - Research perspectives for digital technologies: theory and analysis - Environments and tools for digital research - Research challenges Aimed at a social science audience, it will be of particular value for postgraduate students, researchers and academics interested in research on digital technology, or using digital technology to undertake research.

In a digitally connected world, the question of how to respect, protect and implement human rights has become unavoidable. This contemporary Research Handbook offers new insights into well-established debates by framing them in terms of human rights. It examines the issues posed by the management of key Internet resources, the governance of its architecture, the role of different stakeholders, the legitimacy of rule making and rule-enforcement, and the exercise of international public authority over users. Highly interdisciplinary, its contributions draw on law, political science, international relations and even computer science and science and technology studies.

The present volume, Smart Technologies and Fundamental Rights, contains fourteen outstanding and challenging articles concerning fundamental rights and Artificial Intelligence at the intersection of law, ethics and smart technologies.