Global Leaders Call for Urgent Cooperation to Combat AI-Driven Religious Intolerance Online
A major focus of the forum was the 2024 Framework Convention on artificial intelligence and human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
RMN Digital Human Rights Desk
New Delhi | April 21, 2026
ANTALYA, TÜRKİYE – Global policymakers, diplomats, and digital experts have convened to address the rising threat of digitalized Islamophobia and racism during a high-level panel at the fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum. The panel, titled “Bias at scale: digitalisation of Islamophobia and racism,” explored how artificial intelligence (AI) and the digital public sphere are currently exacerbating anti-Muslim hatred and other forms of online discrimination.
The discussion featured a diverse group of stakeholders, including the UN Special Envoy, representatives from the OSCE and OIC, and the Council of Europe. Participants reached a broad consensus that only through coordinated and multi-actor cooperation can the international community ensure safe and inclusive online spaces for all citizens.
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Setting New Digital Standards
Irene Kitsou-Milonas, the Special Representative of the Council of Europe Secretary General on Antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred, emphasized that the Council’s standards have consistently evolved to address rapid digital developments. She highlighted several key regulatory milestones:
- The 2022 Committee of Ministers’ Recommendation: Aimed at combating hate speech in both offline and online environments.
- Recommendation CM/Rec(2026)4: A framework designed for online safety and the empowerment of users, which seeks to hold platforms accountable for their handling of illegal and harmful content.
- Liability Frameworks: While upholding “safe harbour” liability exemptions for platforms regarding the content they host, new standards provide guidance for developing laws that ensure platform accountability.
AI and Human Rights
A major focus of the forum was the 2024 Framework Convention on artificial intelligence and human rights, democracy and the rule of law. This convention, along with the European Court of Human Rights case-law, provides essential guidance for setting the limits of freedom of expression when it crosses into religious hatred.
Experts from Koç University and the University of Leeds joined the panel to discuss the academic and social implications of these digital shifts. Kitsou-Milonas concluded that addressing digital religious intolerance remains a top priority for her office, as the Council of Europe continues to provide countries with the tools necessary to fight discrimination in the digital age.
