What’s next for human rights and tech?

Bringing the week to a close, techUK speaks to three experts, looking ahead at evolving regulations, expectations, and practical steps for the sector in 2026 and beyond. 

Please get in touch with Elisabeth with any questions.  

 Katie Fowler, Director of Responsible Business at the Thomson Reuters Foundation, gives an overview of key human rights issues for the tech sector, drawing on her experience and work in helping companies and investors embed responsible business decisions and practice by identifying and mitigating their impact on people, society and the environment.  

She outlines four specific challenges for companies, followed by tangible recommendations for how to manage these – taking advantage of the opportunities of emerging technologies while having regard for human rights and legal implications.  

Dr Mahmoud Gad, Associate Professor at Lancaster University Management School, speaks to his ongoing work to make corporate disclosure effective for human rights, with a focus on modern slavery reporting. Specifically, he showcases the new Anti-Slavery Intelligence tool, which scores corporate Modern Slavery Statements, and gives insights into how companies can work to improve their disclosures and human rights more broadly.  

You can get in touch with Mahmoud via his email: [email protected], and read his contribution here.  

Gülşen Güler, Programme Manager for Futures and Dialogue at the Royal Academy of Engineering discusses her work in creating and convening spaces where we can understand more holistically about the impacts of technologies that might be unheard or overlooked. She speaks to the development – and developers specifically – of emerging technologies such as AI, and the importance of considering multiple perspectives in order to uphold and maintain human rights.  

You can get in touch with Gülşen and her team at [email protected] and read her contribution here.