Sheshananda Reddy Kandula

AppSec OSWE OSCP CISSP

About IEEE SSIT

The IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology (SSIT) is dedicated to understanding the complex interactions between technology and society. SSIT facilitates discussions on ethics, professional responsibility, privacy, technology policy, and the social consequences of technological advancement.

The society publishes IEEE Technology and Society Magazine, hosts the annual International Symposium on Technology and Society (ISTAS), and maintains working groups on emerging issues. This webinar addressed the critical intersection of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and fundamental human rights.

Talk: Cybersecurity, AI, and Human Rights: A Societal Perspective

Abstract and Overview

AI-driven cybersecurity solutions enhance threat detection and automate responses, but raise critical concerns about human rights, privacy, and ethical governance. This webinar explored the fundamental tension: the same AI technologies that protect against cyber threats can be weaponized against civil liberties and democratic values.

The Dual-Use Nature of AI Security Technologies

AI as a Defensive Tool: Threat detection at scale, automated incident response, predictive vulnerability management, behavioral analysis for insider threats

AI as a Surveillance Mechanism: Mass data collection, facial recognition, social media monitoring, predictive policing, content moderation at scale

The same capabilities valuable for cybersecurity can enable surveillance, social control, and human rights abuses.

Key Ethical and Human Rights Challenges

  • Algorithmic Bias: AI trained on biased data perpetuates inequalities; facial recognition with higher error rates for people of color

  • Mass Surveillance: AI enables unprecedented surveillance scale; erosion of privacy; chilling effects on freedom of expression

  • Lack of Accountability: "Black box" systems with opaque decision-making; difficulty determining responsibility; limited recourse for affected individuals

  • Dual-Use Dilemmas: Security technologies repurposed for oppression; export to authoritarian regimes

  • Power Asymmetries: AI concentration in governments and corporations; digital divide creating unequal protection

Regulatory Frameworks and Governance

International Standards: UDHR, ICCPR, ECHR, UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights

Emerging Frameworks: EU AI Act (risk-based regulation), GDPR, UNESCO AI Ethics Recommendation, OECD AI Principles, IEEE Ethically Aligned Design

Rights-Respecting Principles: Purpose limitation, proportionality, necessity testing, transparency, meaningful human oversight, accountability, privacy by design

Case Studies and Real-World Examples

  • China’s Social Credit System: AI-powered mass surveillance for social control

  • Clearview AI: Scraping billions of photos without consent

  • Pegasus Spyware: State-sponsored targeting of journalists and activists

  • Predictive Policing: AI perpetuating racial bias in law enforcement

  • Content Moderation: AI making speech decisions with limited accountability

Responsibilities of Cybersecurity Professionals

Consider downstream impacts, document system capabilities and limitations, test for bias, conduct human rights impact assessments, raise concerns about unethical uses, and maintain continuous learning on evolving ethical standards.

Building Rights-Respecting AI Security Systems

Conduct human rights due diligence, implement explainability and transparency, establish independent oversight, enable meaningful human review, provide recourse mechanisms, engage stakeholders, and invest in privacy-preserving technologies.

Conclusion

Cybersecurity professionals must shape how AI is used—ensuring systems respect fundamental rights, uphold democratic values, and serve the public interest through ongoing dialogue between technologists, policymakers, ethicists, and affected communities.

Slides can be found here: View Slides

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