PeopleofSuperintelligence

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Wafa Ben-Hassine

Also known as Wafa Ben Hassine

Wafa Ben-Hassine is a specialist in human rights and digital technology. She heads the Digital Technology and Human Rights Section at the UN Human Rights Office in Geneva as its first chief, and she oversees the office's AI work. In 2011 she served as a parliamentary aide in Tunisia's Constituent Assembly and helped draft the constitutional preamble. Before joining the UN, she spent more than five years at Omidyar Network, where she co-founded Humanity AI, a coalition with close to $500 million. TIME named her to its 2026 TIME100 AI list.

Now at
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Timeline

  1. 2011

    A parliamentary aide in Tunisia

    In 2011 she joins Tunisia's Constituent Assembly as a parliamentary aide and helps draft the constitutional preamble. Her degrees include a JD from the University of Denver and a BA in political science from the University of California San Diego.

  2. 2016

    A report on Arab speech laws

    In April 2016 EFF publishes her report on Arab speech laws, the culmination of an Open Technology Fund fellowship. She also works on Middle East and North Africa policy at Access Now.

  3. By 2026

    Co-founding Humanity AI

    Before she joins the UN in 2026, she has spent more than five years at Omidyar Network, where she co-founds Humanity AI, a coalition with close to $500 million in pooled funding.

  4. 2026

    Named to TIME100 AI

    TIME includes her in its 2026 TIME100 AI list as a specialist in human rights and digital technology.

  5. Since 2026

    UN digital rights section chief

    In 2026 she becomes the first chief of the new Digital Technology and Human Rights Section at the UN Human Rights Office in Geneva, overseeing the office's AI file.

Sources and credits

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  1. Wafa Ben-Hassine, experte tuniso-américaine qui lutte contre les dérives de l’IA, intègre le TIME100 AI 2026 - Managers managers.tn. Checked 15 October 2026.
  2. Wafa Ben-Hassine, Author at TechPolicy.Press techpolicy.press. Checked 15 October 2026.
  3. The Crime of Speech | Electronic Frontier Foundation eff.org. Checked 15 October 2026.
  4. Wafa Ben-Hassine, Author at Access Now accessnow.org. Checked 15 October 2026.
  5. La Tunisienne Wafa Ben Hassine parmi les personnalités les plus influentes de l’IA selon Time businessnews.com.tn. Checked 15 October 2026.
  6. Advisory Board libraryfutures.net. Checked 15 October 2026.