US, Britain, EU, other nations sign first legally binding international treaty on AI

The United States, Britain, European Union members, and other countries, including Andorra, Georgia, Iceland, Norway, the Republic of Moldova, San Marino, and Israel,  signed the first legally binding international AI treaty on Thursday, the Council of Europe human rights organisation said.

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 to ensuring that these new technologies can be harnessed without eroding our oldest values, like human rights and the rule of law," Britain's justice minister, Shabana Mahmood, said in a statement.

The AI Convention mainly focuses on the protection of the human rights of people affected by AI systems and is separate from the EU AI Act, which entered into force last month.

Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić said: “We must ensure that the rise of AI upholds our standards, rather than undermining them. The Framework Convention is designed to ensure just that. It is a strong and balanced text - the result of the open and inclusive approach by which it was drafted and which ensured that it benefits from multiple and expert perspectives. The Framework Convention is an open treaty with a potentially global reach. I hope that these will be the first of many signatures and that they will be followed quickly by ratifications, so that the treaty can enter into force as soon as possible.”

The treaty provides a legal framework covering the entire lifecycle of AI systems. It aims to  promote AI progress and innovation, while managing the risks it may pose to human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. 

Also read: European Parliament passes first-of-its-kind artificial intelligence law

The EU's AI Act entails comprehensive regulations on the development, deployment, and use of AI systems within the EU internal market.

The Council of Europe, founded in 1949, is an international organization distinct from the EU with a mandate to safeguard human rights; 46 countries are members, including all the 27 EU member states.

An ad hoc committee in 2019 started examining the feasibility of an AI framework convention and a Committee on Artificial Intelligence was formed in 2022, which drafted and negotiated the text.

Watch | EU achieves agreement on landmark AI rules, becomes first major power to enact AI laws

The signatories can choose to adopt or maintain legislative, administrative or other measures to give effect to the provisions.

Francesca Fanucci, a legal expert at ECNL (European Center for Not-for-Profit Law Stichting) who contributed to the treaty's drafting process alongside other civil society groups, told Reuters the agreement had been "watered down" into a broad set of principles.

"The formulation of principles and obligations in this convention is so overbroad and fraught with caveats that it raises serious questions about their legal certainty and effective enforceability," she said.

Fanucci highlighted exemptions on AI systems used for national security purposes, and limited scrutiny of private companies versus the public sector, as flaws. "This double standard is disappointing," she added.

The UK government said it would work with regulators, the devolved administrations, and local authorities to ensure it can appropriately implement its new requirements.

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