TIME has officially unveiled its 2026 TIME100 AI list, its annual showcase of the visionaries and leaders steering the global trajectory of artificial intelligence. Among this year’s honorees is Tunisian-American jurist Wafa Ben-Hassine, a renowned expert in digital human rights and AI governance.
Appointed in 2026 to lead the newly established Digital Technology and Human Rights section at the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva, Ben-Hassine now oversees the organization’s AI initiatives. As highlighted in her TIME profile by Steve Friess, her core assessment is stark: tech giants continue to operate with minimal oversight and zero meaningful accountability—a regulatory vacuum that continues to widen. Rather than relying on endless reports, Ben-Hassine is championing direct action. Her strategy centers on engaging directly with industry leaders, mobilizing governments to enforce existing regulatory frameworks, and prioritizing the protection of children and digital privacy.
From Omidyar Network to the Tunisian Revolution
Ben-Hassine’s appointment follows a distinguished tenure at Omidyar Network, the U.S.-based philanthropy driving systemic social change. There, she founded Humanity AI, a pioneering donor consortium that mobilized nearly $500 million to fund AI development aligned with fundamental human rights.
Her roots in Tunisia trace back to the 2011 revolution. In the aftermath, she served as a parliamentary assistant to the Constituent Assembly, where she played a key role in drafting the nation’s constitutional preamble. She later co-founded LEAD Tunisia, led editorial operations at Tunisia Live, and directed MENA policy initiatives at Access Now.
This international recognition underscores a growing reality: Tunisian expertise is already shaping global conversations on AI governance. For Tunisia’s burgeoning AI startup ecosystem, this serves as a powerful catalyst. Local innovators are well-positioned to leverage these high-level networks to build robust compliance frameworks and embed algorithmic accountability into their core operations.
