Hosted at the Global Campus headquarters on 23–24 June, the Policy Hub on AI, Emerging Technologies and Documentation of Serious Human Rights Violations: A Victim-Centred Perspective brought together victim and survivor representatives, civil society organisations, researchers, policymakers, transitional justice practitioners and experts in technology, law, ethics and digital security. Together, they examined how AI is reshaping the documentation of serious human rights violations and what this means for victims, survivors and accountability processes.
The collaboration was initiated by Thomas Unger, Director of Policy and Research at Impunity Watch and a senior alumnus of the European Master’s Programme in Human Rights and Democratisation (EMA). Building on his longstanding relationship with the Global Campus, Thomas approached us to jointly organise the Policy Hub, creating a multidisciplinary space for dialogue on one of the fastest-evolving issues facing transitional justice.
The discussions reflected the growing use of AI and digital technologies to collect, analyse, preserve and disseminate testimonies and other forms of evidence. Participants explored both the transformative potential of these technologies and the significant challenges they pose, including informed consent, victim agency, surveillance, data governance, synthetic media, misinformation and the long-term control and use of testimonies. A recurring theme throughout the meeting was that AI is transforming the pursuit of truth, memory and accountability, but that its use must remain firmly grounded in human rights principles and the needs of victims and survivors.
The Policy Hub also highlighted the importance of context. Practices that may be appropriate in one setting can create significant risks in another, particularly where power dynamics remain fragile or accountability mechanisms are weak. Particular attention was devoted to children and other vulnerable groups, whose experiences may require additional safeguards when AI-enabled tools are used for documentation, archiving or analysis.
Rather than advocating technology for its own sake, participants emphasised the need for careful reflection, multidisciplinary exchange and practical guidance on what responsible, ethical and victim-centred use of AI should look like in transitional justice contexts. The meeting forms part of a broader process led by Impunity Watch to generate practice-based insights that will contribute to the development of transitional justice-specific guidance and emerging principles for the use of AI and other technologies in documenting serious human rights violations.
The Global Campus was pleased to partner with Impunity Watch in hosting this important dialogue and to see one of its senior alumni play a leading role in convening an international community of practitioners, researchers and policymakers committed to ensuring that technological innovation serves the pursuit of justice while protecting the rights, dignity and agency of victims and survivors.
Curious to learn more? Check out the report by Impunity Watch Mapping the current use cases of AI and data-driven technologies in Transitional Justice