Security and transparency: how Ukraine is preparing to apply AI products in the public sector
15 May 15:14
Ukraine has joined the Council of Europe Framework Convention on AI, Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law. The Convention was signed in Strasbourg during the EURODIG 2025 conference. This was reported by the Ministry of Digital Transformation, "Komersant Ukrainian" informs.
Earlier, the Convention was signed by the governments of 15 countries, including the UK, the US, Canada, the EU, Israel, Japan and other technological powers. It is noted that the Convention will enter into force after its ratification by the Verkhovna Rada.
What exactly does the Convention regulate?
The document defines the principles that the state must adhere to in the formation of legislation and the use of AI products in the public sector, including respect for human dignity, transparency, non-discrimination, privacy protection, reliability, and security.
“Artificial intelligence standards are a matter of security for millions of Ukrainians. Soon AI will be in Diya and Dreams, so it is important to define the principles of safe use of this technology in our products,” explained Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation Oleksandr Borniakov.
It is also important that the Convention does not cover the use of AI in defense.
How the Convention principles will apply to business
The impact of the Convention requirements on business will be indirect. As explained by the Ministry of Digital Transformation, the state will create initiatives for the private sector that will help companies adapt the principles in the development of their own products.
For example, the Ministry of Digital Transformation will launch the HUDERIA methodology from the Council of Europe. It will help assess AI products for compliance with human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.
Among the tools the state will provide to companies are general and sectoral recommendations for various areas and aspects of AI use: from education and journalism to advice on personal data processing.
White Paper on AI regulation published in Ukraine
This document describes in detail how the state prepares businesses for future AI standards, when the specialized law will be implemented, and what benefits the bottom-up approach has for citizens, businesses, and innovation development.
“Any abrupt moves regarding innovations can slow down the development of the industry. That is why we have chosen a soft approach to the establishment of regulation in Ukraine, which will be based on the bottom-up principle: first, we prepare companies for the requirements, and then adopt a law analogous to the European AI Act. At the first preparatory stage, businesses will receive tools from the state that will help them prepare for the future legislation in advance,” said Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation Oleksandr Borniakov.
It is also planned to create voluntary codes of conduct, a legal aid platform for business, a regulatory sandbox for testing high-tech products for compliance with future requirements, etc.
The White Paper is available here.
How the potential of AI is already used by Ukrainians
The degree of AI usage can be one of the indicators of the potential of a modern state. However, despite the active development of AI-based technologies, their actual use among Ukrainians remains limited. This is evidenced by the results of a survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology.
According to the survey, 64% of the population does not use AI at all, including:
– 12% have heard about AI for the first time and do not know what it is;
– 52% know about AI but have never used it.
Another 9% of respondents have tried to use AI but have not implemented it in their daily lives.
Only 26% of respondents have practical experience of using AI, including:
– 9% are irregular users (several times a month or less);
– 17% are regular users (12% – daily or almost daily, and 5% – several times a week);
According to the experts, the survey data indicates a high level of awareness of AI (88%), but also a significant gap between knowledge and practice. Only one in eight Ukrainians has actively integrated AI into their daily lives, and the share of regular users (at least once a week) is 17%.
In general, the balance between optimists and pessimists regarding AI adoption among Ukrainians is shifted towards cautious or critical perception. On the other hand, young people are more positive about AI development: 63% of 18-29 year olds are optimists and only 30% are pessimists.
