On 14 May 2025, the USA-based Human Rights Foundation (HRF) announced the launch of its first-ever homepage for its AI for Individual Rights initiatives. The program is said to be the world’s first to expose artificial intelligence (AI) used by autocrats as tools of repression and support open-source AI tools in the hands of dissidents, especially those oppressed under tyranny.
According to the press release, a new initiative of HRF’s focus is on this area and helps users understand how AI can both be a tool of repression and a tool of liberation. HRF’s AI for Individual Rights program seeks to document and expose how autocrats use AI to crush dissent and to counter this trend by supporting the creation and use of open-source AI tools by dissidents living under tyranny.
The Human Rights Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, with a focus on closed societies. It was founded in 2005 and opened its New York office in 2006. HRF was created with the strong backing of numerous freedom champions, including Elie Wiesel, a survivor of the Nazi dictatorship, and Václav Havel, who stood against the Eastern bloc’s regime in Czechoslovakia. These individuals, who peacefully resisted oppressive regimes, were prisoners of conscience under tyrannies of all kinds.
The homepage introduction describes that this program comes at a moment where AI tools made by Chinese actors with connections to the CCP are some of the most performant in the world, displacing tools made by corporations and associations inside liberal democracies. This is also a time when open-source AI tools have never been more powerful, and the opportunities to use AI tools to strengthen the work that dissidents do inside authoritarian regimes have never been greater.
An email message was sent to members noting that practical activities were undertaken during the launch. “In the past month, HRF has brought on Craig Vachon — a professional with 15+ years of experience at the intersection of software and freedom — to direct the program. Craig helped run AnchorFree when its Hotspot Shield product helped provide Internet freedom to more than 750 million users, many of whom lived under dictatorships. More recently, Craig has been investing in and running AI companies and advising institutions about how to best leverage AI to optimize their work. We are fortunate to have him on board and look forward to the contributions he’ll bring to our work.”
The press release highlighted that within weeks, HRF will launch a monthly AI and Individual Rights newsletter, covering some of the most interesting news in the space. Later this year, it will also call for an AI for Individual Rights grants program, an online educational webinar for nonprofits, and an invitation-only summit.
More information can be obtained by visiting the website. AI for Individual Rights – Human Rights Foundation
