Wafa Ben-Hassine Is One of TIME's 100 Most Influential People in AI

Wafa Ben-Hassine has recently been appointed as the chief of digital technology and human rights at the U.N. Human Rights Office. Her primary focus is to engage with decision-makers regarding AI technology and to urge governments to hold these companies accountable for their actions. Ben-Hassine believes that current issues surrounding AI lack transparency and accountability, which is only getting worse.

To combat this, she plans to utilize her diplomatic skills to campaign, put pressure, and build relationships with U.N. member states in order to promote greater accountability.

In her previous position at the Omidyar Network, a social-change philanthropy in Washington, D.C., Ben-Hassine co-founded Humanity AI, a coalition of foundations that have pooled $500 million to fund projects promoting humane applications of AI technology. She aims to become an authoritative source on human rights in the digital sphere.

"My goal is to have people come to us for tough questions about child safety, privacy, and other critical issues," she says. "I want other parties in this space to feel confident in relying on the expertise and guidance that my section produces."