The Council of Europe approved this Friday the “first legally binding international treaty” guaranteeing respect for human rights, the rule of law and the rules of democracy in the use of artificial intelligence (AI), the institution said.
The Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law was approved at the annual ministerial meeting of the foreign ministers of the 46 Council of Europe member states in Strasbourg, France. ).
The council said in a statement that the treaty, also open to non-European countries, “establishes a legal framework that covers the entire life cycle of artificial intelligence systems and addresses the risks they may pose, while promoting responsible innovation.”
“The Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence is the first global treaty of its kind that will ensure that AI protects human rights. It is a response to the need for an international legal standard supported by states on different continents that share the same values. “harness the benefits of artificial intelligence while reducing the risks,” said Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović, quoted in the statement.
The convention, which covers the use of artificial intelligence systems in the public sector (including companies acting on their behalf) and the private sector, requires countries to use “measures to identify, assess, prevent and mitigate possible risks” of their use, such as: identifying content created artificial intelligence systems.”
Parties are also asked to ensure “accountability and responsibility for adverse consequences”, and that “AI systems respect equality, including gender equality, non-discrimination and privacy rights”, and that there are “legal remedies for victims of human rights violations.” related to the use of artificial intelligence.
“The convention will not apply to matters of national defense or to scientific research activities, except in cases where the testing of artificial intelligence systems could potentially interfere with human rights, democracy or the rule of law.”
For effective implementation, a monitoring mechanism has been defined in the form of the Conference of the Parties, and each country is required to “establish an independent oversight mechanism to monitor [seu] compliance (…), stimulate informed public debate and conduct multi-stakeholder consultation on how artificial intelligence technology should be used.”
The agreement is the result of two years of work by the Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAI), which brought together 46 member states of the Council of Europe, the European Union and 11 non-member states (Argentina, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica). USA, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Holy See and Uruguay), as well as representatives from the private sector, civil society and academia who participated as observers.
It can be signed during the conference of justice ministers, which will be held on September 5 in Vilnius (Lithuania).
The Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to the promotion of democratic values and human rights, founded in 1949, among its bodies are the Committee of Ministers, the Parliamentary Assembly and the European Court of Human Rights, the government’s diplomatic portal reports. Portugal became a full member of the organization in September 1976, just over a month after applying for membership.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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