Benefits and Risks: Tigran Jrbashyan on Armenia's Accession to the Council of Europe's AI Convention
YEREVAN, January 30. /ARКА/. Armenia's accession to the Council of Europe's Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law provides grounds for articulating both the opportunities and risks, according to Tigran Jrbashyan, Director of Management Consulting at "Ameria".
On January 27, in Strasbourg, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset signed the Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law.
According to Jrbashyan, the Convention itself does not limit the development of AI factories or regulate computing power, GPU use, or model sizes.
"The document creates an important foundation of international trust and legitimacy for Armenia, demonstrating that our AI development is compatible with the principles of human rights and the rule of law. This is especially important for European partners, universities, research programs, and investors sensitive to "ethical AI," he wrote on Facebook.
At the same time, Jrbashyan points out the real risks associated not with the content of the Convention, but with its possible excessive or inappropriate application in national policy.
"If it is used as a heavy-handed technical regulation—limiting experiments, complicating research, or creating legal uncertainty for startups—then we will weaken our potential for AI development," he believes.
The expert emphasizes that the strength of the Convention lies precisely in the fact that it is conceived as a fundamental guideline, not a detailed set of rules. It encourages controlled, sandbox-style experiments and allows for regulation of specific use cases, not technology or infrastructure.
In conclusion, Jrbashyan noted that, if applied correctly, the Convention could become a competitive advantage for Armenia, while misinterpretation could turn it into a tool for self-limitation. "Everything depends on how we translate it into policy and institutional practice," the expert concluded.
The Convention is the first international legal instrument aimed at ensuring the protection of fundamental human rights in the application of AI. The signing of the Convention will create an opportunity to develop the legal framework related to the use of AI through close cooperation with international partners.