Cultural Rights and the Rights to Development in the Age of AI: Implications for Global Human Rights Governance

AI systems are reshaping cultural expression and content creation globally, with algorithmic systems increasingly influencing how cultural content is created, depicted, and distributed worldwide—raising concerns about whose cultural perspectives are represented and whose are marginalized in these systems.

Existing economic and social inequalities are being amplified by AI, as the paper warns that AI's growing influence "risks exacerbating preexisting economic, social and digital divides and reinforcing inequities for marginalized communities," particularly affecting developing nations and vulnerable populations' ability to benefit from technological advancement.

Current AI governance frameworks lack adequate protections for cultural and developmental rights, with the paper identifying "gaps and tensions in existing AI governance frameworks with respect to cultural rights and the right to development," suggesting that international AI policies are not sufficiently addressing these fundamental human rights concerns.

AI systems embed cultural and economic biases through their design, as the paper highlights "epistemic and normative limitations of AI with respect to cultural and developmental assumptions embedded in algorithmic design and deployment," meaning that the values and assumptions of AI creators become baked into systems that affect billions of people globally.

Intellectual property and cultural ownership are threatened by AI systems, with AI affecting "the use and distribution of the intellectual property of individuals and communities," raising questions about whether creators—especially from marginalized groups—maintain control over their cultural heritage and creative works.