The three major western jurisdictions building technologies for artificial intelligence are set to sign the first international treaty on the use of AI that is legally binding, as companies worry that a patchwork of national regulations could hinder innovation.

The US, EU and UK are all expected to sign the Council of Europe’s convention on AI on Thursday, which emphasises human rights and democratic values in its approach to the regulation of public and private-sector systems.

The convention was drafted over two years by more than 50 countries, also including Canada, Israel, Japan and Australia. It requires signatories to be accountable for any harmful and discriminatory outcomes of AI systems. It also requires that outputs of such systems respect equality and privacy rights, and that victims of AI-related rights violations have legal recourse.