Corporate Accountability by Algorithm: AI and the Interpretation of Human Rights Due Diligence

As companies struggle to conduct human rights due diligence and governments attempt to monitor compliance with supply chain regulations, they are increasingly turning to digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). While AI-based tools can improve supply chain visibility and assess human rights risks, they carry potential risks of marginalizing rightsholders and undermining traditional conceptions of corporate accountability. This article examines the methodologies behind these tools, the role of technology firms in their design and application and the unintended consequences of relying on those firms to interpret the legal norm of human rights due diligence. It draws on a critical analysis of AI-based tools as well as interviews with officials from technology firms, consultants and human rights advocates. I argue that although AI can enhance human rights due diligence, AI-driven corporate accountability delegates interpretive judgment to technology firms, privatizes human rights and deemphasizes stakeholder engagement.