US, Britain and EU sign international treaty to tackle AI threats

Convention aims to protect human rights and rule of law while stopping spread of misinformation

UK Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, right, said that AI can help to improve public services and economic growth, but 'we must not let AI shape us – we must shape AI'. Photo: Council of Europe.

The US, Britain and the EU have signed the first legally-binding treaty that will tackle threats posed by artificial intelligence while promoting responsible innovation in the sector.

The new AI Convention aims to protect the safety and human rights of those affected by AI. It also seeks to protect democracy from misinformation and stop government institutions being undermined by the new technology.

On Thursday, representatives from the UK, the US and the Council of Europe, a body that represents 46 nations, including all EU member states, began signing the document during a conference for European justice ministers in Vilnius, Lithuania.

The framework had been in the works for years and adopted in May following discussions with 57 countries.

It commits parties to take action to manage AI and protect the public from potential misuse. It also ensures that safeguards are put in place to stop the spread of misinformation or the introduction of biased data that prejudice decisions.

The Council of Europe said countries from all over the world will be eligible to join it and commit to complying with its provisions.

The US on Thursday said it was “committed to ensuring that AI technologies support respect for human rights and democratic values” and saw “the key value-add of the Council of Europe in this space”, a senior US official told the Financial Times.

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

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

The UK's Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood on Thursday said that AI has the potential help improve public services and turbocharge economic growth, but stressed “we must not let AI shape us – we must shape AI”.

“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,” she added.

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.”

Calls for greater AI guardrails have been growing in recent years, particularly as generative large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, have increased AI’s presence in the public consciousness.

Last year, the UK hosted the first AI Safety Summit, which was attended by world leaders and tech giants, and co-hosted a virtual summit with South Korea earlier this year.

The AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park – in pictures

US Vice President Kamala Harris, who was at Bletchley Park alongside tech moguls Elon Musk and Sam Altman, acknowledged there were significant risks with AI but gave her backing to the creation of a global AI Safety Institute.

The summit, which was held at the UK's code breaking headquarters during the Second World War, discussed the dangers of rogue AI models as well as the 'Terminator' risk that machines take over from humans.

France, which is building a reputation as a European hub for generative AI, recently committed 2.5 billion euros ($2.77 billion) to invest in developing the technology domestically.

However, the UK appears to be cutting back on investment in AI following the election of the new Labour government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

It has already scrapped a planned £1.3 billion ($1.72 billion) worth of investment in related technologies drawn up by the previous Conservative government, including an £800 million investment promised to develop a supercomputer at the University of Edinburgh.