Human Rights in the Age of High Technologies (in English)

The course provides an overview of the challenges before the international human rights law caused by the products of scientific and technical development in the spheres of digital and cyberspace, robotics, artificial intelligence, and genetic technologies. How do these products affect the international human rights system and, particularly, the notion of universality? And what is the fresh light shaded on the connection between ethics and international human rights law within the topic? On the other hand, all the mentioned areas will be examined as those that can contribute to the realization of human rights, focusing on equality and non-discrimination, the right to a healthy environment, privacy rights and the right to the highest attainable standard of health. Distinct attention will be paid to the human right to benefit from scientific progress as well as the issue of introducing new actors to the current human rights framework agenda. A central dilemma running through the course is finding a balance between the existing international human rights standards and scientific and technological development.