Source: ISPI

The increasing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) across Europe has prompted the development of multiple regulatory frameworks, including the Council of Europe (CoE) Convention and the European Union (EU) AI Act. This article explores the intersection between these two regulatory frameworks and examines how they complement and sometimes overlap in addressing AI-related challenges.

The CoE Convention focuses on ensuring that AI technologies respect human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, while the EU AI Act categorizes AI systems based on risk levels, imposing stricter regulations on high-risk AI applications. The article highlights how these two frameworks aim to protect individuals and society from the potential misuse of AI while fostering innovation.

One of the key points of intersection is the emphasis on transparency, accountability, and human oversight in both frameworks. Both the CoE Convention and the EU AI Act require that AI systems be designed and deployed in ways that are transparent and that allow for human intervention when necessary.

The article also discusses the challenges of integrating these regulatory frameworks, particularly in ensuring coherence between the CoE’s broader human rights focus and the EU’s more specific regulatory approach to AI risk management. It notes that while the frameworks share common goals, there are areas where they diverge, particularly in terms of enforcement mechanisms and the scope of applicability.

The article concludes by calling for greater cooperation between European institutions to harmonize AI regulations and ensure that they effectively address both the risks and opportunities presented by AI technologies.