UK, US and EU sign world’s first legally binding AI treaty

The UK, the US, and the EU have signed the first global legally binding treaty promoting the safe use of AI systems at a Council of Europe ministers of justice conference held in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius.

Countries including Andorra, Georgia, Iceland, Norway, the Republic of Moldova, and San Marin have also signed the treaty, “which is consistent with human rights and democracy,” a statement said.

The new framework commits collective action to manage AI products and protect the public from potential misuse.

The committee of ministers in Council of Europe, an organization set up in 1949 and comprising 46 countries that seek to promote democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in that continent, had adopted the AI Convention on 17 May.  The committee of ministers is the Council of Europe’s decision-making body.

The 47 Council of Europe member states and 11 non-members, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, the Holy See, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Peru, the US, and Uruguay, negotiated the treaty. Representatives of the private sector, civil society, and academia contributed as observers.

“This Convention is a major step to ensuring that these new technologies can be harnessed without eroding our oldest values, like human rights and the rule of law,” UK’s justice minister, Shabana Mahmood, said in a statement.

With the surging adoption of AI boosting productivity and increasing cancer detection rates, the Convention provides critical safeguards against its risks, including spreading misinformation or using biased data to promote prejudiced decisions.

The treaty will ensure that countries monitor their development and manage technology within strict parameters. It includes provisions to protect the public and their data, human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. It also commits countries to act against activities outside these parameters to tackle the misuse of AI models that pose a risk to public services and the wider public.

“We must ensure the rise of AI upholds our standards rather than undermining them. The Framework Convention is designed to ensure just that,” Council of Europe secretary-general Marija Pejčinović Burić said.

Stating that the treaty is worded in robust and balanced text and results from the open and inclusive approach. She said,” The Framework Convention is an open treaty with a potentially global reach.”

Hoping that the first set of many signatures, Burić said they will be followed quickly by ratifications so that the treaty can enter into force as soon as possible.

The treaty will ensure that countries monitor their development and that any technology is managed within strict parameters, as the EU mentioned in its release.

The treaty includes provisions to protect the public and their data, human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. It enables countries to act against activities outside these parameters to tackle the misuse of AI models, which poses a risk to public services and the wider public.