As rivals China and U.S. prepare for AI meeting, here are the top concerns

China and the United States, in a race to dominate artificial intelligence (AI), are preparing for a high-level meeting this week. U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are expected to discuss global AI safety concerns amid their rivalry. Both nations face the threat of rogue AI, and their cooperation on safety measures is clouded by competition.

The U.S.-China relationship's ups and downs have influenced the AI conversation. China aims to close the technology gap with the U.S., and each side expresses concern over the impact AI in the other's hands could have.

The agenda may address AI risks such as cyberattacks, misuse of biological materials, major model failures, loss of human control, and the potential for loss-of-control risks. The U.S. has proposed setting up a mechanism for AI dialogue and a notification mechanism for incidents impacting national security. Both nations have expressed concern over AI's potential misuse in attacking critical infrastructure, like finance, electricity, telecommunications, and transportation.

China is particularly interested in sharing information about AI and cyber incidents with U.S. experts to build technical confidence over time.

Trump believes whoever wins AI wins, emphasizing the need for the U.S. to retain a technological edge over China. Beijing accuses the U.S. of pursuing an AI monopoly and restricting China's access to advanced chips. Despite export controls, Chinese AI models have shown the ability to rival or even surpass American counterparts. The U.S. government and AI companies allege that Chinese models engage in malicious extraction of capabilities from top American AI models, a claim rejected by Chinese officials.