US, UK sign legally binding AI treaty

The United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union have signed the first “legally binding” treaty on artificial intelligence, which aims to ensure its operate is consistent with “human rights, democracy and the rule of law”, according to to the Council of Europe.

This treaty, called Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligenceto introduce key principles AI systems must adhere to principles such as protecting user data, respecting the law and maintaining crystal clear practices. Any country that signs the treaty must “adopt or maintain appropriate legislative, administrative or other measures” that reflect the framework.

The legal framework, which has been in the works since 2019, has also been signed by Andorra, Georgia, Iceland, Norway, the Republic of Moldova, San Marino and Israel.

We’ve seen a whole bunch of other things over the last few months Artificial Intelligence Security agreements are emerging — but most of them do not entail consequences for signatories who break their commitments. Although this recent treaty is supposed to be “legally binding,” this Financial Times indicates “Compliance is primarily measured through monitoring, which is a relatively weak form of enforcement.”

“We need to ensure that AI developments uphold our standards, not undermine them,” Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić said in a statement. “The Framework Convention was designed to do just that. It is a strong and balanced text – the result of an open and inclusive approach.” The treaty will enter into force three months after ratification by the five signatories.