Europe as an international Standard Setter for
Artificial Intelligence

 

 

 

 Virtual event organised by the German Federal Foreign Office and Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection as part of Germany’s Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe

 20 January 2021   1:00 PM - 5:45 PM (CET)  

 Conference recordings  Website 

 Documents

Artificial intelligence now dominates people’s everyday lives around the world and impacts every area of society. The Council of Europe plays a key role in setting internationally binding standards for safeguarding human rights, democracy and the rule of law in the age of artificial intelligence. Its Ad hoc Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAHAI) has already done important preparatory work in this regard.

Discussions at the conference will focus on issues including the impact of artificial intelligence on human rights, democracy and the rule of law, as well as the feasibility and finer details of a future legal framework for AI.

Programme of the conference

1.00 – 1.10 p.m.   WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION

  • Melinda Crane, Chief Political Correspondent, Deutsche Welle TV

1.10 – 1.30 p.m.   OPENING REMARKS by

1.30 – 1.45 p.m.   Showing of clips from the documentary iHuman

  • Followed by a short interview with the director  Tonje Hessen Schei and the Impact Producer Danielle Turkov Wilson

1.45 – 2.45 p.m.   PANEL DEBATE 1: The impact of AI on human rights, democracy and the rule of law – do we need an internationally harmonised legal framework for Artificial Intelligence?

  • Rumman Chowdhury, Data scientist, CEO and Founder of Parity and former Global Lead for Responsible AI at Accenture; featured in the documentary iHuman
  • Cornelia Kutterer, Senior Director und Lead of the Rule of Law & Responsible Tech team at Microsoft
  • David Leslie, Ethics Theme Lead at the Alan Turing Institute, London, UK; CAHAI Bureau member
  • Nathalie Smuha, KU Leuven, specialist in AI Law & Ethics, Tech regulation, EU Law & Fundamental rights; CAHAI Expert
  • Francesca Fanucci, Member of the CAHAI, Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe

2.45 – 2.55 p.m.   Coffee Break

2.55 – 3.15 p.m.   PRESENTATION OF CAHAI’S INTERIM RESULTS by CAHAI Chair Gregor Strojin

  • In particular, presentation of the CAHAI feasibility study and prospects for a future CoE legal framework on AI
    Followed by questions from hosts and/or audience

3.15 – 4.15 p.m.   PANEL DEBATE 2: Expectations for AI regulation within the Council of Europe and beyond

  • Peggy Valcke, Professor of Law & Technology at KU Leuven, CAHAI Vice Chair 
  • Oksana Tarasenko, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation
  • Matthias Spielkamp, Co-Founder and Executive Director of AlgorithmWatch
  • Daniel Leufer, Europe Policy Analyst at Access Now
  • Yoichi Iida, Deputy Director General for G7 and G20 Relations, Global Strategy Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Member of the Japanese CAHAI delegation

4.15 – 4.25 p.m.   STATEMENT by

4.25 – 4.30 p.m.   Coffee Break

4.30 – 5.30 p.m.   HIGH-LEVEL CLOSING PANEL: Current status of AI regulation in Europe – how can the CoE and EU build bridges as international standard-setters for the regulation of Artificial Intelligence?

  • Jan Kleijssen, Director of Information Society and Action against Crime, Council of Europe
  • Gabriela Ramos, Assistant Director-General for the Social and Human Sciences, UNESCO
  • Salla Saastamoinen, Acting Director-General, DG Justice and Consumers, European Commission
  • Prof. Dr. Christian Kastrop, State Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection
  • Michael O’Flaherty, Director of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)

5.30 – 5.45 p.m.   CLOSING REMARKS by

 

 Programme available in PDF

 Conference Conclusions