The Future of Human Rights

Abstract

Human rights are dynamic, rather than static. The contemporary status quo emerged via a three phase process, from conceptualization, to clarification, and to consolidation. The present is an interregnum between two significant eras, a fact which the generations metaphor does not adequately capture. The future of human rights will be shaped by how individuals and institutions engage with advances in technologies that transform and extend the mind and body. Particular attention is paid to innovation in superintelligence, social robots, and augmented humans. One implication of this analysis is that changes to the mind and body are likely to transform the subject of rights and to require the development of more a sophisticated rights ecology. Human rights scholars and advocates should engage in a proactive and ambitious program to prepare for such developments. Such efforts will ensure there are rights to clarify and consolidate in the era to come.