Ukraine has officially signed the world’s first international treaty in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) — the Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
The document defining global standards for the ethical use of AI was signed by Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation Oleksandr Borniakov and Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe Bj?rn Berge.
“AI is already becoming a part of our lives — it will soon appear in [apps] Diia and Mriia. But before implementing such innovations, it is important to clearly define the rules of the game,” the Ministry of Digital Transformation emphasized.
The Convention establishes the fundamental principles that should guide the state in regulating and implementing AI systems in the public sector:
- respect for human dignity and autonomy;
- non-discrimination and equality;
- transparency, oversight and accountability;
- protection of privacy and personal data;
- reliability and safe innovation;
- guarantees of appealing decisions made by AI systems.
In the event of a significant impact on human rights, states are obliged to provide citizens with the right to information, the possibility of filing a complaint, as well as procedural guarantees and safeguards. There is also a possibility of moratoriums or bans on risky AI applications.
“This is a historic step: we are not only joining the technological future, we are shaping it together with the world’s leaders,” the Ministry of Digital Transformation noted.
As of May 15, 2025, the Convention has already been signed by 15 governments, including the UK, the US, Canada, the EU, Israel, Japan, and other Council of Europe member states.
It is worth reminding that according to the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, 52% of respondents have never used AI services, and 12% do not know what they are.