This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The Human Rights Center at UC Berkeley School of Law has released a human rights assessment of the use of large language models (LLMs) in the fields of law, journalism and education. "An International Analysis of the Human Rights Impacts of Large Language Models" was designed to examine how LLM use may create human rights risks and opportunities in the fields of law, journalism and education; how human rights risks and opportunities associated with LLM use vary according to geographic and socioeconomic contexts; and what measures can be implemented by which entities to effectively mitigate human rights risks and leverage the opportunities presented by LLMs.
"What surprised us the most was how people in different parts of the world use LLMs so differently in their work, with practitioners in Global North states predominantly much more risk-averse. While this obviously led to varying human rights risks, we learned about new opportunities posed by different uses, particularly in certain Global South states," said Betsy Popken, executive director of the Human Rights Center and author of the report alongside researchers Vyoma Rahman and Camille Chabot. Drawing on the human rights impact assessment framework used as a due diligence tool under the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights, researchers blended stakeholder interviews with a literature review to identify rights-impacting trends.
They interviewed 56 people from 24 countries—including at least one expert and one practitioner in each sector on each continent—as well as representatives from corporations developing LLMs, from 2023 to 2025. They also analyzed existing sector-specific model evaluations to connect performance metrics to human rights impacts in the fields of law, journalism and education. Researchers found cross-cutting risks to freedom of thought, where overreliance on LLMs can stifle higher-level critical thinking.
They also found that cultural and ideological homogenization challenges global adoption of LLMs, creating risks to the right to equality and nondiscrimination. These impacts vary widely based on usage, resulting from disparate resources, access and training. LLMs were found to improve potential access to justice by assisting litigants who do not have counsel, such as in small-claims settings.
However, overreliance in high-risk settings was found to pose risks to due process and fair trial rights, as well as the right to remedy, by providing inaccurate or unnuanced advice. In journalism, LLMs were found to provide assistance with writing and research that can improve the productivity and labor conditions of journalists operating in resource-constrained settings. However, hallucinations were noted as contributing to the spread of misinformation.
LLM usage was found to positively and negatively affect the right to education. Personalized learning systems made it easier for educators to adequately assist students with their individual challenges, but the alignment of LLMs with educational standards and their ability to help with student recall remain challenges. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. d research that matter—daily or weekly.
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