Need for democratic governance of artificial intelligence
Reply to Recommendation
| Doc. 15346
| 26 July 2021
- Author(s):
- Committee of Ministers
- Origin
- Adopted at the 1409th meeting
of the Ministers’ Deputies (7 July 2021). 2021 - Fourth part-session
- Reply to Recommendation
- : Recommendation 2181
(2020)
1. The Committee of
Ministers has carefully examined Parliamentary Assembly
Recommendation 2181 (2020) on “Need for democratic governance of artificial intelligence”.
2. The Committee believes that the issue of regulating artificial
intelligence (AI) to ensure effective democratic governance is a
major concern at the beginning of the 21st century,
due to the increasing use of AI by a number of public bodies, business
operators and other entities, and due to its potential impact not
only on human rights, but also on many aspects of democratic governance
and decision making, including transparency, accountability, ethical
conduct, responsiveness and efficiency; all of which are included
in the 12 Principles of Good Democratic Governance approved by the
Committee of Ministers in 2008.
3. Concerning the preparation of a legally binding instrument
and its content referred to in the recommendation, the Deputies
draw the attention of the Parliamentary Assembly to the decisions
adopted by the Committee of Ministers under item 2b of the agenda
of its 131st Session held in Hamburg
on 21 May 2021 (2b. Human rights in the digital age) which provides, inter alia, that:
“… 3. considering the ever-increasing
importance of digital technologies and artificial intelligence,
and taking into account the Council of Europe’s role in efficiently
protecting and promoting human rights including in the rapidly changing
digital area;
i with regard to artificial
intelligence:
- took note of the work
of the Ad hoc Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAHAI) and the
feasibility study conducted by the Committee, and of the ongoing
work that is due to be completed at the end of 2021;
- decided to give priority to the work on an appropriate
legal framework for the development, design and application of artificial
intelligence based on the Council of Europe’s standards on human
rights, democracy and the rule of law, and conducive to innovation;
- recalled the importance of this work being based on strong
evidence and an inclusive consultation process, and undertaken in
co-operation with international and supranational partners to ensure
a global view of the subject;
- invited its Deputies, while examining the full range of
possible options, to focus particularly on a possible legal framework
which can be composed of a binding legal instrument of a transversal
character, including notably general common principles, as well
as additional binding or non-binding instruments to address challenges
relating to the application of artificial intelligence in specific
sectors, with a view to having negotiations on the transversal instrument
started by the 132nd Ministerial Session
in May 2022; …”
4. The Deputies also draw attention
to the Declaration of Nicosia, which was adopted on 11 June 2021, on the
occasion of the Conference of Ministers responsible for Media and
Information Society, co-organised by the Council of Europe and the
Republic of Cyprus. The Committee of Ministers was requested to
take all necessary steps to implement the actions mentioned in the
Final Declaration and the appended Resolutions referring to freedom
of expression and digital technologies, the changing media and information
environment, the safety of journalists and the impact of the health
crisis on freedom of expression.
5. The Ministers' Deputies will not fail to keep the Parliamentary
Assembly informed of further developments.