Abstract

Artificial intelligence and automated decision-making is increasingly used in various facets of migration management. From predictions about population movements in the Mediterranean, to Canada’s experiments with the use of AI in immigration and refugee decisions, to coercive retinal scanning of refugees in Jordan, states and organizations are keen to explore the use of these new technologies, yet often fail to take into account profound human rights ramifications and real impacts on human lives.

This presentation is based on “Bots at the Gate,” a report done by the University of Toronto on the use of emerging technologies in migration management and explores new mechanisms of oversight and accountability across jurisdictions. The concerns around emerging technologies force us to re-examine our assumptions, norms, and available rights-frameworks. Technology is not neutral and is a useful lens through which to examine state practices, democracy, notions of power, and accountability.