The first legally binding international treaty on artificial intelligence will be open for signature on Thursday by the countries that negotiated it, including members of the European Union, the United States and Britain, the Council of Europe human rights organization said.
The AI Convention, which has been in the making for years and was adopted in May after discussions among 57 countries, addresses the risks that AI can pose, while promoting responsible innovation.
“This convention is an important step towards ensuring that these new technologies can be harnessed without eroding our oldest values, such as human rights and the rule of law,” said British Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood in a statement.
The AI Convention focuses primarily on protecting the human rights of people affected by AI systems and is separate from the EU AI Law, which came into force last month.
The EU AI Act entails comprehensive regulations on the development, deployment and use of AI systems within the EU internal market.
The Council of Europe, founded in 1949, is an international organisation distinct from the EU with a mandate to safeguard human rights; 47 countries are members, including all 27 EU member states.
In 2019, an ad hoc committee began examining the feasibility of a framework convention on AI, and in 2022 a Committee on Artificial Intelligence was formed to draft and negotiate the text.
Signatories may choose to adopt or maintain legislative, administrative or other measures to give effect to the provisions.
Francesca Fanucci, a legal expert at ECNL (European Centre for Non-Profit Legal Endowment) who contributed to the treaty drafting process alongside other civil society groups, told Reuters the agreement had been “watered down” to a broad set of principles.
“The formulation of principles and obligations in this convention is so broad and so riddled with qualifications that it raises serious doubts about its legal certainty and effective applicability,” he said.
Fanucci highlighted as flaws the exemptions for artificial intelligence systems used for national security purposes and the limited scrutiny of private companies compared to the public sector. “This double standard is disappointing,” he added.
The UK government said it would work with regulators, devolved administrations and local authorities to ensure it can properly implement its new requirements.
(Only the headline and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
First published: September 5, 2024 | 16:56 IS
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