The UK doesn’t have a law addressing artificial intelligence. Yet. The UK government has announced it is a signatory to a new international treaty.

This new agreement is the result of two years of negotiation. This involved the Council of Europe representing 46 countries, including the UK. There were also 11 non-member states including Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, and the USA. All of these countries can sign up to the agreement.

The “Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law” (PDF) sets out a framework. This intends to address the risks that AI systems may pose. The overriding principle is to ensure AI systems are fully consistent with and protect human rights. Also, they must not undermine the integrity of democracy. The separation of powers and the rule of law must also be preserved.

This is a welcome step forward. But it’s yet another international agreement. There hasn’t been much progress since I wrote about this in March. Signatories to the treaty still have to implement appropriate legislative measures to comply. As yet, the UK has nothing dedicated to AI and the new UK government has not made this a priority.

Compare this to the EU which already has its “Artificial Intelligence Act“, which has caused controversy. It’s often difficult to pass a law regulating a new area while making everyone happy. So having dismay on both sides is about as good as you can get. The EU AI Act is no exception: some say it will stifle innovation; others say it doesn’t go far enough. The key is to keep it under observation. It’s important to adjust it quickly if it turns out that it favours one side more than another.

What next?

For now at least, it’s business as usual in the UK. But regulation is coming soon. And if you operate in the EU, you’ll need to be aware of the EU AI Act.

If you need advice, contact me at +44 20 3824 9748 or fjennings@hcrlaw.com.