Convention On Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, Democracy And The Rule Of Law

The Council of Europe has on the 17^thof May 2024, finalised a first of its kind, legally binding draft international treaty on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law (the "Convention"). The drafters of the Convention, conscious of the developments brought about by Artificial Intelligence ("AI"), address the risks of discrimination in digital contexts, while considering the manner in which AI systems could possibly undermine human dignity and individual autonomy, human rights, democracy and the rule of law, if misused. For instance, the COMPAS algorithm used in the U.S. criminal justice system¹has been found to be biased against African American defendants, potentially leading to unjust sentencing and exacerbating racial inequalities. Similarly, Amazon's AI recruiting tool was scrapped after it was discovered to be biased against women², highlighting how AI can perpetuate existing biases if not carefully managed.