The Council of Europe, the principal organization defending human rights in Europe, announced that the first legally binding international treaty on artificial intelligence will be open for signature today, Thursday, by the countries that negotiated it, including European Union member states, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The treaty addresses the risks posed by artificial intelligence while promoting responsible innovation. The treaty has been in preparation for years before being adopted in May after discussions among 57 countries.
British Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood stated in a press release: “This treaty represents a major step to ensure that new technologies can be harnessed without compromising our values such as human rights and the rule of law,” according to Reuters.
The AI treaty primarily focuses on protecting the rights of those affected by AI systems and is separate from the European Union’s AI Act, which came into effect last month. The EU AI Act includes comprehensive regulations on the development, deployment, and use of AI systems within the EU’s internal market.
