Bandung, IndonesiaSentinel.com — The Council of Europe’s International AI Treaty officially opened for state signatures. The European Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom has signed and agreed on the first international agreement to address the risks of adopting artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
The AI Convention, which has been in the works for years and was adopted in May after discussions between 57 countries, addresses the risks AI may pose while promoting responsible innovation.
“This convention is a major step towards ensuring that new technologies can be used without eroding our most fundamental values, such as human rights and the rule of law,” said British Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood.
This AI Convention focuses on protecting the human rights of people affected. In addition, besides the general obligations to respect and uphold human rights, the treaty aims to establish a risk-based approach to regulating AI and a number of common principles related to activities within the entire lifecycle of AI systems.
The treaty states that AI systems must comply with a set of principles, including, transparency and oversight, accountability and responsibility, non-discrimination, and privacy and personal data protection.
Signatories to the AI treaty can choose to adopt the regulations or create national laws in accordance with the treaty’s contents.
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The treaty covers the use of AI systems in the public sector, including companies acting on its behalf, and in the private sector. Any company or body using relevant AI systems must assess their potential impact on human rights, democracy, and the rule of law and make that information available to the public.
However, EU legal expert Francesca Fanucci, who contributed to the treaty’s drafting process alongside other civil society groups, said the international agreement would be difficult to implement.
“The formulation of the principles and obligations in it is too broad and contains many things that raise questions about legal certainty and the effectiveness of its implementation,” she said.
Fanucci highlighted exemptions on AI systems used for national security purposes and very limited rules of private companies compared to the public sector as flaws and claimed that there is a double standard.
Despite that, the Convention on AI is one such significant initiative in the goal of promoting and advocating for human rights.
(Raidi/Agung)
