Artificial intelligence technologies have become increasingly widespread in recent years across various fields, including healthcare, education, security, finance, and communication. While these technologies provide significant opportunities that facilitate social life, they also raise new legal and ethical challenges regarding the protection of human rights. In particular, personal data processing, algorithmic decision-making processes, and AI-powered surveillance systems have generated important debates concerning fundamental rights such as the right to privacy, the principle of equality, the prohibition of discrimination, and accountability.
Although a growing body of literature addresses the ethical implications of artificial intelligence, limited attention has been paid to studies directly examining the adequacy of existing international human rights law mechanisms in addressing the risks posed by these technologies. Accordingly, this study aims to examine the impact of artificial intelligence on human rights from the perspective of international human rights law and to assess whether current protection mechanisms are capable of responding effectively to emerging AI-related challenges.
A qualitative research method was adopted, and international human rights treaties, United Nations (UN) documents, UNESCO recommendations, European Union (EU) regulations, and relevant academic literature were analyzed through document analysis. The findings suggest that existing international human rights law mechanisms are not fully equipped to address the diverse risks arising from artificial intelligence. In particular, stronger safeguards are needed to protect privacy, prevent algorithmic discrimination, enhance transparency, ensure meaningful human oversight, and strengthen accountability frameworks.
Furthermore, the study demonstrates that AI-related human rights risks should not be viewed solely as technical or ethical concerns, but should also be considered structural legal issues that require a reassessment of the normative and institutional capacity of international human rights law. In this respect, the study aims to contribute to the literature by evaluating the effects of artificial intelligence on contemporary human rights protection systems from the perspective of international law. As the impact of artificial intelligence on human rights continues to expand, the need for more comprehensive, up-to-date, and effective protection mechanisms within international law is becoming increasingly apparent.