It aims to mitigate the threats that AI may pose to human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
- The treaty, called the Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law, was drawn up by the Council of Europe.
- It is separate from the EU AI Act, enforced last month, by having a mandate to ensure that activities within AI lifecycle systems are consistent with Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law.
Major provisions
- Risk-based approach: banning systems if the risks posed are incompatible with Human rights.
- Coverage: Both public and the private sector across geographies.
- Accommodates Global diversity in legal systems: allowing parties to regulate the private sector either directly through the convention or through alternative measures consistent with it.
- Exemption: Does not apply to matters of National security, defense, and R&D activities.
Impact of AI in Human rights, Democracy, and Rule of Law
- Human Lives: Ability to predict human behavior, create stereotypes, discriminatory bias, along with the impact on privacy with its biometric tools.
- Democracy: Biometric Surveillance may affect open social and political debates/discourses, which is the core idea of democracy.
- Rule of Law: Greater affordability of AI Systems by elites, greater control by developers, and monitoring of citizens affects equality before law.
