Historic moment!
The Council of Europe opens the first-ever legally binding global treaty on #AI and human rights.
Signed, among others, by EU🇪🇺, UK 🇬🇧 and USA 🇺🇸#HumanRights #Innovation #Democracy #GlobalTreatyhttps://t.co/HrupO7ECu6 pic.twitter.com/KY5M9zKPBG— Embassy of Spain UK (@EmbSpainUK) September 5, 2024
The United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union have signed a groundbreaking international treaty on artificial intelligence (AI) standards. The agreement was reached under the auspices of the Council of Europe, which hailed it as the world’s first legally binding treaty on AI systems. The treaty was opened for signatures at a conference of Council of Europe justice ministers in Vilnius.
👨💻 “It is essential that the UK takes a leading role in shaping future treaties and other international AI governance initiatives.”
Our president Nick Emmerson tells @lawsocgazette, as the UK signs the Council of Europe’s AI treaty. https://t.co/2oMcWeJIFM pic.twitter.com/lsm0KUDHzX
— The Law Society (@TheLawSociety) September 6, 2024
Ten countries initially signed the agreement, including the US, UK, EU, Andorra, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Moldova, Norway, and San Marino. Council of Europe Secretary-General Marija Pejcinovic Buric emphasized the significance of the treaty, stating, “We must ensure that the rise of AI upholds our standards, rather than undermining them.” She described the text as an “open treaty with a potentially global reach” and urged more countries to sign and ratify it. The treaty aims to provide a legal framework covering the entire lifecycle of AI systems, promoting AI progress and innovation while managing risks to human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.
Treaty sets AI legal standards
It marks a significant step in managing the ethical and societal impacts of AI. However, some experts have raised concerns about the treaty’s enforceability.
"The first legally binding international AI treaty will be open for signing on Thursday by the countries that negotiated it, including European Union members, the United States and Britain, the Council of Europe human rights organisation said." https://t.co/P69UNgasNZ
— Ignacio Ybáñez 🇪🇺 (@IgnacioYbanez) September 6, 2024
Progress is progress, but a super watered down treaty with few required compulsions for parties to follow its rules doesn't seem like much to me https://t.co/BARRKbHjJ1
— Chris Stokel-Walker (@stokel) September 5, 2024
Francesca Fanucci, a legal expert at the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL), remarked that the agreement had been “watered down” to a broad set of principles, raising questions about legal certainty and effective enforceability. She also pointed out exemptions for AI systems used for national security purposes and the limited scrutiny of private companies compared to the public sector. The signing of this treaty follows recent global efforts to regulate AI use, particularly in high-risk sectors.
The agreement is expected to include guidelines on data sharing, protecting personal privacy, and ethical AI usage, as well as advocating for transparency in AI algorithms to prevent bias and ensure fair outcomes in AI-driven decisions.
