Tunisian Wafa Ben Hassine recognized by Time magazine as influential AI figure
Wafa Ben Hassine, a Tunisian jurist specializing in digital technologies and human rights, has been named to the TIME100 AI 2026, Time magazine's annual selection of individuals shaping the development and governance of artificial intelligence. As the head of the Digital Technology and Human Rights section at the United Nations Human Rights Office OHCHR, she aims to place corporate and state accountability at the center of the AI debate. Ben Hassine, based in Geneva, is the first to hold this position, which she began earlier this year. She advocates for an action-oriented approach, emphasizing direct dialogue with companies developing AI technologies and urging governments to exercise their regulatory power. Ben Hassine highlights a significant lack of accountability and transparency in how companies operate, a problem she believes is worsening. Her work focuses on the risks AI poses to privacy, freedom of expression, and the broader "right to a decent life." She seeks to make her section an international reference for human rights in the digital space, providing expertise on sensitive issues like online child protection and privacy. Before joining the UN, Ben Hassine spent over five years at Omidyar Network, a philanthropic organization where she co-founded Humanity AI, a coalition that raised approximately $500 million to support human-centered AI projects. Her inclusion in the TIME100 AI 2026 recognizes her career at the intersection of law, technology, and fundamental fr