CAIDP Supports Campaign of EU NGOs on Global AI Treaty

CAIDP has joined forces with AlgorithmWatch, the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law Stichting (ECNL), and over 90 other civil society organizations and prominent academics to ensure the upcoming global AI treaty, being finalized by the Council of Europe, provides robust protection for human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. The treaty, set to be the first binding international agreement on AI, aims to address the growing impact of AI systems on society.

The open letter calls on the negotiating states to give their unwavering support for the Convention to cover both public and private sectors equally and reject blanket exemptions regarding national security and defense. The letter states, "A hollowed-out Convention will provide little meaningful protection to individuals who are increasingly subject to powerful AI systems prone to bias, human manipulation, and the destabilization of democratic institutions." As the negotiation enters its final phases, with the last plenary scheduled for March 11-14, 2024, CAIDP and its partners stress the urgency of ensuring the treaty effectively protects human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.

In a statement last week, Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić highlighted the need to harness AI's potential to bridge inequalities and prevent discrimination. "Unless we learn how to harness the potential of AI to bridge inequalities - including gender inequality - and prevent discrimination, AI can and will become a force that entrenches, perpetuates and amplifies inequality," she said.

Karine Caunes, CAIDP's Global Program Director and CAIDP Europe Executive Director, emphasizes the importance of the treaty's coverage, stating

"Most risks to human rights, democracy and the rule of law originate from the way AI systems are designed and used by the private sector. The Council of Europe Convention on AI, the first ever binding treaty on AI, has the potential to ensure that State parties set the necessary safeguards against these risks, assuming there are no exemptions for the private sector."

Decision-makers in Strasbourg are facing a rapidly closing opportunity to address these flaws and recenter fundamental rights within European AI policy. It's imperative for the negotiators to revisit the foundational principles of the AI Convention, emphasizing the protection of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.