Monique Steijns

Monique Steijns is a legal expert and initiator working at the intersection of human rights, technology and the representation of historically marginalised groups. Through her consultancy The People's AIgency, she advises civil society organisations and government institutions on the risks of irresponsible use of new technologies such as AI. Monique is the driving force behind THE PEOPLE vs AI, a series of co-creation seminars that falls under her initiative CONNECTME@ Human Rights and Technology. This initiative brings together civil society, communities, policymakers and people working in the tech sector to shape responsible, human rights-based technologies and to empower underrepresented groups in this process. In addition, she created CODE NOIRE, a talk show that explores the impact of AI and data-driven systems on marginalised communities, with particular attention to gender, race and power. By making use of various formats, her work places meaningful participation, accountability and human rights at the centre of the age of emerging technologies.