On 11 September 2019, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe set up an Ad Hoc Committee on Artificial Intelligence – CAHAI.

The Committee will examine the feasibility and potential elements on the basis of broad multi-stakeholder consultations, of a legal framework for the development, design and application of artificial intelligence, based on Council of Europe’s standards on human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

Main tasks

Under the authority of the Committee of Ministers, the CAHAI is instructed to:

• examine the feasibility and potential elements on the basis of broad multi-stakeholder consultations, of a 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.

When fulfilling this task, the Ad hoc Committee shall:

• take into account the standards of the Council of Europe relevant to the design, development and application of digital technologies, in the fields of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, in particular on the basis of existing legal instruments;
• take into account relevant existing universal and regional international legal instruments, work undertaken by other Council of Europe bodies as well as ongoing work in other international and regional organisations;
• take due account of a gender perspective, building cohesive societies and promoting and protecting rights of persons with disabilities in the performance of its tasks.