Trump’s China rivalry and “AI race” delusion may endanger US, experts say
Trump focus on winning “AI race” may deter China from sharing safety intel.
This week, the US and China, the leading nations in AI, initiated talks to ensure global safety from emerging risks. However, whether discussions between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping can result in a dependable worldwide governance framework for AI depends on the extent to which these adversaries are prepared to collaborate. It's evident that Trump desires the talks to appear successful.
Prior to Trump and Xi's meeting on Thursday and Friday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent revealed that both parties had already deliberated on establishing a new AI safety notification mechanism. If China agrees to participate, this would provide an open line for either side to transmit alerts when their AI systems present hazards or act unpredictably.
Similarly, the channel could permit the nations to exchange their "common goals" vision. Nonetheless, the suggestion arrives at a time when China might not be inclined to trust the US to conduct AI safety talks that don't aim to restrict China's capabilities. Not only has Trump progressively heightened export controls explicitly designed to prevent China from accessing technology to boost AI, but Congress is contemplating bills that would cut the nation off from additional chips and hardware.
Adding to tensions, just two weeks ago, Trump's Justice Department accused six of China's top AI firms of stealing from US frontier labs, a claim China has vehemently refuted.
Written by urgent.news from Ars Technica Policy's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
