TLDR: The UN Human Rights B-Tech Project and Project Liberty Institute have partnered to launch a global initiative focused on advancing responsible AI investment and data agency. Announced at the PRI in Person 2025 conference, the initiative aims to guide investors in fostering an AI economy that respects human rights and promotes ethical data governance, kicking off a year-long series of consultations and releasing a new paper on investor influence in responsible AI innovation.
A significant global initiative has been launched by the United Nations Human Rights B-Tech Project and the Project Liberty Institute, aiming to steer the future of artificial intelligence investment towards greater responsibility and respect for data agency. The partnership was unveiled on November 7, 2025, during the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in Person 2025 conference in Sao Paulo, a prominent UN-backed gathering of investors managing over $120 trillion in assets.
The core objective of this collaboration is to establish a framework for responsible AI investment that actively safeguards human rights and ensures individuals maintain control over their data. This move comes at a crucial time as responsible investment principles are expanding beyond environmental concerns to address the complex human rights implications arising from AI development and data governance.
Central to the initiative’s launch was the release of a new paper, titled “The Investors Financing the AI Ecosystem: Roles and Leverage to Drive Responsible Innovation.” Co-authored by UN B-Tech and the Project Liberty Institute, the publication delves into how investors can wield their influence to align capital allocation with human rights principles, thereby unlocking greater long-term value within the AI ecosystem. The paper emphasizes that data, as the ‘backbone of the modern economy’ and the ‘raw material powering AI systems,’ necessitates careful governance to ensure both economic competitiveness and the protection of human rights.
This launch marks the beginning of a year-long global process designed to foster dialogue among investors in both public and private markets. The discussions will focus on strategies to build an AI economy founded on improved business models, robust digital infrastructure, and a steadfast commitment to human rights. The initiative will specifically work to produce actionable guidance, equipping technology investors with tools to identify companies whose business models pose risks to data agency and human rights, and to encourage these portfolio companies to mitigate such risks.
Over the next 12 months, the UN B-Tech and Project Liberty Institute plan to convene four regional multi-stakeholder consultations across different continents. These gatherings will bring together investors, policymakers, and technology leaders to collaboratively develop practical guidance. The inaugural consultation is already underway, taking place on the sidelines of the PRI in Person 2025 in São Paulo, featuring an official side event focused on ‘Anticipating and Shaping Responsible Tech Innovation for Ecosystems.’
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Leaders, including Economics Nobel laureate Daron Acemoglu, a member of Project Liberty’s Fair Data Economy Task Force, have highlighted that creating more open and dynamic data ecosystems can not only strengthen economic growth but also ensure technology remains accountable to society. This new global initiative directly responds to this imperative, aiming to embed privacy and transparency into business models at a critical inflection point for data governance and digital infrastructure.
