Why this consultation?


In 2020, the Ad hoc Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAHAI) conducted a feasibility study and carefully examined the reasons why it is necessary today to have an adequate legal framework to protect human rights, democracy and the rule of law in light of the new challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI) systems, which are being increasingly used in our daily lives and societies. In 2021, the CAHAI began a reflection on the main elements of such a framework, which will be based on the Council of Europe's standards on human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

The CAHAI decided that a multi-stakeholder consultation would take place in 2021, to gather the views of representative institutional actors (not single individuals) on some key issues arising in the development of the-above-mentioned elements.

The consultation is now closed.

What is the purpose of the consultation?


The aim of the consultation is to help the CAHAI Legal Frameworks Group, which is in charge of preparing the main elements of this future legal framework, inform its choices based on the feedback that will be collected during the consultation. In effect, the elements will cover key issues such as the values and principles on which the design, development and application of AI should be based, the areas where more safeguards are needed, and the kind of policies and solutions that need to be adopted for AI systems to be respectful of the Council of Europe's values. On these and other issues, it is important that the debate is broad and allows for the collection of points of view from very different actors: government representatives and public administrations, international organisations, business, civil society, academia and the technical community. A questionnaire has been prepared as a support for the consultation. To answer the full questionnaire, a maximum time of 90 minutes should be sufficient. Answers can be in English or French.

What will happen at the end of the consultation?


Transparency will be an essential principle of the consultation. The various responses received during the consultation will be included in a compilation of responses and will serve as the basis for the development of a specific report, which will be discussed first in the CAHAI Consultations and Outreach Group and then in CAHAI. Both documents will be published on CAHAI's website. The report will then be addressed to the CAHAI Legal Frameworks Group as a non-binding support tool, to be used in its work of preparation of the elements of the legal framework.

Any other questions?


Useful resources:

For any other questions, please contact the secretariat: secretariat.cahai@coe.int