Fostering Responsible AI: Exploring Impact Assessment Tools and Incentives for the AI Industry

This research examines the societal implications of generative AI (GenAI). It adopts a human rights-based approach (HRBA) to GenAI development and deployment, advocating for mechanisms that encourage voluntary participation. The research explores incentives as tools to engage relevant stakeholders, prioritising cross-disciplinary collaboration and dialogue to identify, address, and reduce the social impact of GenAI models.

This project makes two main contributions: (1) a human rights impact assessment framework to support systematic identification of risks across key rights domains, and (2) an ethics-based incentive scheme for the AI industry that encourages responsible practices beyond minimum legal compliance. The session will present the conceptual foundations of both components, their structure and intended use, and the main contributions and limitations identified so far.

About the speaker

Berenice Fernández Nieto is a PhD candidate in Cybersecurity at the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca and the University of Bari “Aldo Moro.” Her research examines AI governance, digital rights, and corporate accountability. She holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in International Relations from the National Autonomous University of Mexico and a Joint Master’s in International Security, Intelligence, and Strategic Studies from the University of Glasgow, Charles University, and the University of Trento.

She has worked with institutions such as ETH Zurich, Data-Pop Alliance, and the Institute for Human Rights at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and has collaborated with international organisations including UN Women, UNDP, and GIZ. Her work has been presented at IEEE and ACM conferences and contributes to advancing responsible and inclusive approaches to AI development.

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