United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has stated that hate speech is the initial step towards dehumanization. In a statement marking the 2026 International Day to Combat Hate Speech, Guterres highlighted that hate speech is a “tool of division” used for political gain, primarily targeting women, migrants, refugees, LGBTQIA+ individuals, persons with disabilities, and numerous other minority groups.
Hate Speech Fueled by Artificial Intelligence
Guterres noted that in the digital age, hate speech spreads rapidly via unregulated platforms and is intensified by artificial intelligence. He explained that algorithms often reward anger and division, promote lies for likes, and amplify violence for views. Furthermore, online anonymity makes it difficult to hold perpetrators accountable.
Kalliopi Mingeirou, Head of the UN-Women Ending Violence Against Women Section in New York, observed that rapid technological advancements facilitate the spread of hate speech and misogynistic views shared online. “The Manosphere is not a single website or community. It is a broader ecosystem of algorithm-driven content that can rapidly spread misogyny and opposition to gender equality and women’s rights, making it seem quite normal or acceptable,” Mingeirou stated.
While acknowledging that AI does not create misogyny, Mingeirou expressed conviction that it amplifies hatred against women. “Abusers can now create and disseminate deepfakes, synthetic sexually explicit images, impersonation content, and other visual-based forms of abuse faster, cheaper, and with less technical skill,” she said.
The UN Secretary-General has long rejected the argument that countering hate speech constitutes an infringement on freedom of expression. In response to rising hate speech globally in 2019, he launched the UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech. This strategy aims to coordinate efforts across the UN system to identify, prevent, and counter hate speech while respecting international human rights standards. Guterres has asserted, “Freedom of expression should never be an excuse for harmful messages.”
More recently, the UN Global Principles for Information Integrity propose a vision for a world where global information flows are no longer dominated by a small group of companies located in a few countries. These principles call for individuals to have greater control over the media they consume, their online experiences, and how their personal data is used.
