The first legally binding international treaty on artificial intelligence (AI) will be available for signing on Thursday by the nations involved in its negotiations, including EU members, the U.S., and the U.K., according to the Council of Europe, a human rights organization.
The AI Convention, which has been in development for years and was adopted in May after discussions among 57 countries, aims to address potential risks associated with AI while encouraging responsible innovation.
Britain’s justice minister, Shabana Mahmood, called the treaty a significant step in ensuring that AI technologies can be utilized without compromising fundamental values like human rights and the rule of law.
The treaty primarily focuses on protecting the human rights of those impacted by AI systems and is distinct from the EU’s AI Act, which took effect last month. The EU AI Act outlines detailed regulations for the development, deployment, and use of AI systems within the European internal market.
The Council of Europe, established in 1949, is an international body separate from the EU, tasked with safeguarding human rights. Its membership includes 46 countries, including all 27 EU nations.
In 2019, an ad hoc committee began exploring the possibility of an AI framework, and by 2022, a Committee on Artificial Intelligence had drafted and negotiated the treaty text.
Countries signing the treaty can adopt or maintain legislative or administrative measures to fulfill its provisions. However, Francesca Fanucci, a legal expert with ECNL (European Center for Not-for-Profit Law Stichting), who contributed to the drafting process, expressed concerns that the agreement had been “watered down” to a broad set of principles.
Fanucci noted that the broad and conditional wording in the treaty raises doubts about its legal clarity and enforceability. She also criticized the exemptions for AI systems used for national security and the disparity in scrutiny between private companies and the public sector, calling it a “disappointing double standard.”
The U.K. government indicated it would collaborate with regulators, devolved administrations, and local authorities to ensure the treaty’s requirements are implemented effectively.