The Council of Europe’s human rights organization announced that the nations that drafted the first legally binding international pact on artificial intelligence, which includes the US, UK, and members of the European Union, will be able to sign it on Thursday, Reuters reported.
After years of development and debate involving 57 countries, the Convention on Artificial Intelligence was finally adopted in May. It promotes responsible innovation while addressing potential concerns associated with AI.
British Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said in a statement that “this convention is an important step towards ensuring that these new technologies can be used without undermining our oldest values such as human rights and the rule of law”.
The EU AI law came into force last month, but the AI Convention focuses primarily on protecting the human rights of anyone affected by AI systems. The EU Law on Artificial Intelligence contains comprehensive rules for the creation, application and use of artificial intelligence systems within the EU internal market.
The Council of Europe, founded in 1949, is an international organization separate from the European Union with the mission of defending human rights. Among its 47 members are all 27 EU member states. The Artificial Intelligence Group was established in 2022 to draft and negotiate the text of the convention after an ad hoc group began in 2019 to examine the viability of a framework convention on artificial intelligence.
To give effect to clauses, signatories may choose to enact laws, enact administrative rules, or take other action. According to Francesca Fanucci, a legal expert at the ECNL (European Center for Non-Profit Law Stichting), which worked with other civil society organizations to draft the agreement, the agreement was “watered down” into a vague list of principles. he told Reuters.
“The formulation of principles and obligations in this convention is so broad and full of reservations that it raises serious questions about their legal certainty and effective enforceability,” she said.
Fanucci cited two flaws in the system: insufficient vetting of private businesses compared to the state sector and exemptions for artificial intelligence systems used for national security purposes. “This double standard is disappointing,” she continued. To ensure it can properly meet its new criteria, the UK government said it will work with regulators, devolved governments and local councils.
