Deputy Secretary Verma’s Engagements in Vilnius, Lithuania

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard R. Verma traveled to Vilnius, Lithuania, on September 4-5 to sign the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy, and of the Rule of Law, and to meet with senior government officials.

For the first time in an international treaty, this Convention defines a shared baseline for rights-respecting AI activities by governments and affirms the relevance of existing human rights obligations to AI activities.  In a significant step toward building consensus on common responsible and rights-respecting practices related to AI, the Convention codifies principles such as accountability, non-discrimination, privacy, and reliability that have long been supported by the United States.  The Convention also describes common minimum risk management practices, and contains provisions related to topics such as procedural safeguards, public consultation, digital literacy efforts, and remedies for violations of human rights.  The United States’ signature of the Convention reflects our enduring commitment to ensuring that AI technologies promote respect for human rights and democratic values, and to advancing a range of efforts at home and abroad to leverage the promise of AI, manage its risks, and safeguard human rights.

Deputy Secretary Verma met with Deputy Foreign Minister Simonas Šatūnas in Vilnius and discussed a range of topics, including regional security in the face of Russian aggression and our mutual support for Ukraine.