AI and Digital Infrastructure Hub

AI and Digital Infrastructure Hub

Illustration by Kruthika NS (TheWorkplaceDoodler)

In June 2025, we launched our Artificial Intelligence and Digital Infrastructure Strategic Litigation Hub (AI Hub). The AI Hub aims to foster collaboration on strategic litigation to hold Big Tech, governments, and other relevant actors accountable for the harms caused by AI—an increasingly pervasive force in nearly every aspect of our lives. Whether through its implementation in the provision of digital services or its material embodiment as digital infrastructure, AI is provoking, facilitating, and exacerbating social injustice and human rights violations.

Our primary focus is on the Council of Europe, but we are also open to participants working on these issues in Africa and Latin America.

Meet the Participants

How do we understand the following terms?

  • Artificial Intelligence or AI: a machine-based system that is designed to operate with varying levels of autonomy to stimulate human intelligence processes.
  • Digital Infrastructure:  physical, software, and networked systems that enable the creation, delivery, and functioning of digital goods and services. This includes data centres, undersea and terrestrial internet cables, hardware, devices, cloud hosting and computing services, as well as foundational and application-level software.
  • Strategic Litigation: legal cases that: (i) have an impact extending beyond the parties directly involved in the particular legal case; (ii) achieve positive wider legal, policy or societal change; and (iii) are embedded in a wider strategy or movement.

What are the Hubs thematic scope and focus area?

The AI ecosystem includes AI development companies like OpenAI, but also platforms, online service providers, and Big Tech corporations such as Amazon, Meta, TikTok, Google, Microsoft, and Apple. These companies are increasingly embedding AI into their operations, relying heavily on large data centers and the extraction of raw materials. AI tools are being deployed across a wide range of applications, including online searches, content moderation, gig work, facial recognition, border control, law enforcement, fraud detection, defense, and warfare.

AI is impacting human rights across social, political, and commercial life. Surveillance tools violate our rights to privacy, data protection, equality, non-discrimination, freedom of movement, and the right to asylum. In the gig economy, AI discriminates, undermining the right to work. The material demands of AI infrastructure challenge access to a healthy environment, housing, food, and water. Access to justice —including collective redress— is increasingly urgent in addressing AI’s harms. The need to hold powerful actors accountable has never been more pressing. Strategic litigation remains key to defending human rights and resisting authoritarianism.

We expect to be able to accommodate, develop, and coordinate litigation efforts under this AI Hub addressing any, but not limited to the following issues:

    • Environmental and rights-based litigation against data centres;
    • Anti-discrimination litigation against the use of discriminatory AI systems;
    • Cases against harmful content moderation and censorship practices;
    • Environmental impact disclosure and greenwashing litigation;
    • Accountability of cloud and platform service providers;
    • Labour rights across the AI and digital infrastructure supply chain;
    • AI systems involved in harmful consumer practices; and
    • Countering surveillance technologies being used against people on the move, journalists, activists and the general public

What will happen in the AI Hub?

Participation in the AI & Digital Infrastructure Hub includes, but is not limited to, the following activities:

  • Monthly online meetings;
  • In-person thematic workshops;
  • In-person strategic litigation retreats; and
  • Inter-Hub Annual Meetups.

These activities shall:

  • Foster meaningful and long-lasting collaborations amongst participants;
  • Enable collective brainstorming on AI and digital infrastructure strategic litigation cases; and
  • Share best practices, knowledge and skills relating to strategic litigation in this area.

What is the Hubs approach?

We organise knowledge and skill sharing across these three phases:

–   Preparation Phase: This phase focuses on pre-litigation efforts before you file your case. This includes connecting your case to wider human rights and climate justice efforts, as well as broad aspirations and concrete goals for your litigation. It also involves working with and for affected communities, selecting your partners, determining where to litigate, and evidence gathering.

–   Litigation Phase: This phase focuses on developing legal arguments, litigation planning, procedural considerations, preparing for regional court representation, community involvement and how other tools for change, like advocacy and campaigning, can reinforce your goals.

–   Enforcement Phase: focuses on post-litigation activities, including judgment enforcement, roundtables and development of documentation for best practices and post-judgment communications.

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