Can AI Safety Bring the US and China Together?
Experts from the United States and China are proposing safeguards to prevent artificial intelligence from triggering a military incident between the two countries.
The recommendations include keeping AI out of nuclear decision-making, ensuring humans remain in control of major cyber operations, and creating a direct hotline for AI-related emergencies, according to Reuters.
The proposals come as AI systems become increasingly capable of carrying out tasks on their own. Experts from Brookings and Fudan University warn that an AI-related military or cyber incident could leave the two countries with little time to respond.
China has also updated its own AI safety guidelines. Its latest framework places greater attention on AI systems that can act autonomously, warning that their actions can have consequences in the real world.
The United States and China remain locked in a race to develop powerful AI. That competition will be in focus when U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet in Washington on September 24.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has also warned about the risks. “The world cannot afford a race to the bottom on AI safety,” he said.