The UK, US and EU are among the signatories to the Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law.
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The Council of Europe has stated that this treaty is “technology neutral” and aims to provide a legal framework for the entire life cycle of AU systems while promoting innovation.
The agreement covers three general areas of protection:
- Human rights: This primarily refers to the maintenance of existing human rights agreements. The signatory governments also agree to ensure that people’s data is used appropriately, their privacy is respected and AI does not discriminate against them.
- Democracy: This refers to the ability of malicious actors to spread misinformation and disinformation that could undermine information integrity and cause public distrust.
- Rule of law: This imposes an obligation on signatories to regulate and protect themselves from AI-specific risks.
The framework was agreed by the 46 member states of the Council of Europe, the EU and 11 non-member states (Argentina, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, the Holy See, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Peru, the United States of America, Uruguay) in May . In addition to the US, the EU and the UK, the framework has now also been signed by Andorra, Georgia, Iceland, Norway, the Republic of Moldova, San Marino and Israel.
Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić said: “We must ensure that the rise of AI maintains our standards rather than undermining them.” The Framework Convention aims to ensure exactly that. It is a strong and balanced text – the result of the open and inclusive approach with which it was written, which ensured that it benefits from a diverse range of expert perspectives. The Framework Convention is an open treaty with potentially global reach. I hope that this will be the first of many signatures and that ratifications will follow quickly so that the treaty can enter into force as quickly as possible.”
Shabana Mahmood, UK Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, said: “Artificial intelligence has the ability to radically improve the responsiveness and effectiveness of public services and boost economic growth.” However, we cannot let AI shape us – we must shape AI.
“This convention is an important step to ensure that these new technologies can be used without undermining our most ancient values such as human rights and the rule of law.”
Dr. Kjell Carlsson, head of AI strategy at Domino Data Lab, said: “There are many real ways AI can be used to cause harm – fraud, deepfakes, cybercrime, etc. – and lawmakers deserve credit for trying “To stay one step ahead of them.” Threats. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to see how this treaty makes any meaningful progress in addressing real-world AI threats. It is so general and unspecific in terms of the harms to be addressed and the measures to be taken that it is uncertain whether and how it would be enforced. However, increasing AI regulation is certain – as evidenced by the EU AI Act and numerous government legislative efforts in the US – and many AI risks are covered by existing regulations.”