Photo credit: Tara Winstead/ Pexels

The US, EU, and UK are set to sign the first international treaty on the use of AI, which is legally binding, on September 5. This treaty, known as the Council of Europe’s Convention on AI, emphasizes human rights and democratic values in regulating both public and private-sector AI systems. 

According to a report from the Financial Times, it requires the countries that have signed to be responsible for any harmful and discriminatory outcomes of AI systems. Moreover, the treaty ensures that the countries will take the necessary legal actions in case an individual’s AI-related rights are violated.

UK’s minister for science, innovation, and technology, Peter Kyle, claimed that the signing of the treaty is an important step to manage the artificial intelligence innovations. Highlighting the importance of the treaty, Kyle also stated that countries signing up for this treaty show that they are rising as a global community to the challenges posed by AI.

The reports claim that the AI treaty will initially focus on monitoring the artificial intelligence sector and does not yet have sanctions in place, such as fines, even though it has been billed as 'legally enforceable.

Emphasizing the importance of an AI framework, Věra Jourová, claimed that the new framework sets important steps for the design, development and use of AI applications, which will bring trust and reassurance that AI innovations are respectful of our values.

Countries across the world have begun to take the necessary steps to mitigate the risks that come along with AI’s innovative features. Europe introduced the very first comprehensive regulation on artificial intelligence through the AI Act.

Meanwhile, the US, which does not have a legal federal law on AI, has created a blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights focused on five principles that protect the American public against the risks associated with artificial intelligence."