The European Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom have signed the first legally binding international treaty on artificial intelligence, alongside seven other countries.

The agreement, The Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law, requires signatories to implement or maintain measures ensuring that AI usage is in alignment with human rights, democracy, and the law. These measures aim to protect the public from inherent risks in AI models, like biased training data and potential misuse, such as the spread of misinformation.

Current signatories include Andora, the EU, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Norway, the Republic of Moldova, San Marino, the UK, and the USA. Reportedly, more countries will join soon, including 39 other Council of Europe member states and nine non-member states participating in the treaty negotiations.

The non-member countries include Argentina, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, the Holy See, Japan, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay.

In a statement, the UK’s Lord Chancellor, Shabana Mahmood, said “Artificial intelligence can 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. 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,” Mahmood added.

Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić stated, “We must ensure that the rise of AI upholds our standards, rather than undermining them.