The first international treaty of artificial intelligence (IA) legally binding document will be open for signature on Thursday (5) by the countries that negotiated it, including members of the European Union, the United States and the United Kingdom, said the Council of Europe's human rights organization.
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The AI Convention, which has been in the works 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 most cherished values, such as human rights and the rule of law,” British Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood said in a statement.
The AI Convention focuses primarily on the protection of human rights of people affected by AI systems and is separate from the EU AI Law, which came into force last month.
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The EU AI Law provides 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 organization distinct from the EU with a mandate to safeguard human rights; 47 countries are members, including all 27 EU member states.
An ad hoc committee in 2019 began examining the feasibility of an AI framework convention and a Committee on Artificial Intelligence was formed in 2022, which drafted and negotiated the text.
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Signatories may choose to adopt or maintain legislative, administrative or other measures to give effect to the provisions.
Francesca Fanucci, legal specialist at ECNL (European Center for Not-for-Profit Law Stichting), which contributed to the treaty-making process alongside other civil society groups, told Reuters that the agreement had been “weakened” on a broad set of principles.
“The formulation of principles and obligations in this convention is so broad and full of qualifications that it raises serious questions about its legal certainty and effective enforceability,” she said.
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Fanucci highlighted as flaws the exemptions on AI 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 will work with regulators, devolved administrations and local authorities to ensure it can properly implement its new requirements.
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