Rights with Responsibilities - The Future of Citizen Education in the Era of AI

Education for Democracy and its counterpart, Education for Human Rights, have historically drawn from long-standing social struggles for racial, gender, and socio-political equality. Rooted in frameworks such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and subsequent human rights conventions, these efforts have undeniably advanced justice. However, an overemphasis on rights—divorced from the equally critical concept of responsibilities—has paradoxically fostered a new form of disempowerment among both marginalized groups and the broader population. This disempowerment manifests as a diminished sense of agency, with individuals increasingly directing their energy toward demanding action from external entities—be it the state, society, or employers—rather than cultivating proactive, mutual responsibilities essential for a balanced and resilient society. The pervasive influence of social media further exacerbates this trend, as echo chambers amplify entitlement-driven attitudes over collaborative, people-to-people solutions. This paper explores these dynamics, emphasizing the urgent need to recalibrate citizen education to balance rights with responsibilities. In an era where Artificial Intelligence reshapes governance, societal norms, and information flows, the responsibility of individuals to engage critically and collaboratively becomes paramount. By addressing these challenges, this paper aims to reimagine citizen education as a driving force for transformative change, fostering empowered, responsible, and adaptive democratic societies. Paper to be co-authored with Ms. Sudha S. Reddy, ECO Foundation for Sustainable Alternatives (EFSA), based in Bangalore, India and Foundation for Global Governance and Sustainability (FOGGS), based in Brussels, Belgium