US seeks 'AI dialogue' with China before Trump-Xi

Economic officials from the United States and China met in New York on Sunday to establish a communication channel for discussing AI-related concerns, according to a report. The meeting was part of preparations for a summit of the countries' top leaders that will take place this week. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reported that the discussions, which lasted around eight hours, were successful and covered trade and AI issues.

The US has proposed a notification mechanism known as the US-China AI dialogue to notify each other about potential AI incidents that may affect national security. Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng led the Chinese delegation, which also included top trade official Jamieson Greer. The talks are expected to continue on Monday, and previous negotiations saw China pledge to purchase US agriculture goods.

Other issues under scrutiny include the extension of a trade truce, guardrails for AI development, and the continued flow of rare earth magnets and critical minerals. Analysts suggest that expectations for the Trump-Xi summit are low, and a short-term truce is the only possible outcome.