International Agreement To Regulate Artificial Intelligence

Uploaded on 2024-09-24 in TECHNOLOGY-Key Areas-Artificial Intelligence, GOVERNMENT-National, GOVERNMENT-Law Enforcement, FREE TO VIEW

Britain's newly installed Labour government has now signed the first legally-binding international treaty governing safe use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Alongside EU countries, others expected to become signatories include the United States and Australia.

This builds on the initiative from the previous Conservative governments so-called 'Bletchley Declaration' to make progress in addressing the technology risks, developing multilateral agreement to test advanced AI Models.

The new framework commits parties to collective action to manage AI products and protect the public from potential misuse. In particular, it commits countries to act against activities which pose a risk to public services and the wider public.

The treaty is intended to protect human rights, democracy and the rule of law from the potential threats posed by AI, which is widely predicted to bring significant benefits like boosting productivity and healthcare. The new convention includes important safeguards against its risks, such as the spread of misinformation or using biased data which may prejudice decisions.

This new agreement has three over-arching safeguards:

Protecting human rights, including ensuring people’s data is used appropriately, their privacy is respected and AI does not discriminate against them.

Protecting democracy by ensuring countries take steps to prevent public institutions and processes being undermined.

Protecting the rule of law, by putting the onus on signatory countries to regulate AI-specific risks, protect its citizens from potential harms and ensure it is used safely

The treaty will ensure countries monitor its development and ensure any technology is managed within strict parameters.

As the first legally-binding international treaty on AI, the Convention will ensure there is a united front across the world to managing the dangers of the technology in line with their shared values.

British Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood commented "Artificial Intelligence has the capacity to radically improve the responsiveness and effectiveness of public services, and turbocharge economic growth.
However, we must not let AI shape us, we must shape AI."

Keiron Holyome, VP UKI & Emerging Markets at BlackBerry said “To truly outrun cybercriminals and maintain a defensive advantage, robust frameworks for AI governance and ethical standards must be established, ensuring responsible use and mitigating risks. "The first legally binding international AI treaty is another step towards such recommendations for both AI caution and applications for good. Collaboration between governments, industry leaders, and academia will be increasingly essential for sharing knowledge, developing best practices, and responding to emerging threats collectively...

"AI stands at a pivotal juncture in cyber security. Its unpredictability and evolving nature cannot be ignored, especially when in the hands of malicious cyber criminals."

British government Mineter for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle said "AI holds the potential to be the driving force behind new economic growth, a productivity revolution and true transformation in our public services, but that ambition can only be achieved if people have faith and trust in the innovations which will bring about that change."

Britain continues to play a key role as an international leader in safe, secure, and trustworthy AI, establishing the world-first AI Safety Institute, and playing a key role in the negotiations which have framed the Convention.

Image: Unsplash

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