The United States and China will hold their first official talks on artificial intelligence (AI) in September. This significant development follows the Trump-Xi summit in May, aiming to address the growing concerns surrounding advanced AI models.
These discussions will focus on mitigating the risks posed by increasingly powerful AI technologies. Both nations are anxious about each other's AI capabilities, which could strengthen military power, enable cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, and disrupt labor markets. The talks are expected to take place before Chinese President Xi Jinping's planned September 24 visit to the U.S.
This engagement fits into a broader context of intense economic and technological rivalry between the two superpowers. The global AI race has accelerated, prompting both Beijing and Washington to consider how to regulate these powerful models. Prior efforts by the U.S. have included limiting exports of advanced AI chips to China, reflecting a strategy to manage technological competition.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will lead the American side in these September talks, according to four sources familiar with the matter. Bessent has previously expressed concerns about intellectual property, stating, "We are finding watermarks of our U.S. large language models on many of the Chinese models, and that that's unacceptable." He emphasized that AI models need to adhere to consistent standards.
The upcoming talks represent the first official U.S.-China dialogue on AI under President Donald Trump's administration. While former President Joe Biden and Xi Jinping previously agreed that humans, not AI, should control nuclear weapon decisions, these new meetings will establish a formal framework for AI discussions. The agenda, location, and other participants are still under deliberation as preparations are in their initial stages.
These discussions carry significant implications for global technology governance and international relations. Decision-makers will be watching for any agreements on basic terms, such as defining a frontier AI model. The U.S. has been engaging with its AI companies to create voluntary safety standards, but no regulatory measures have been announced yet. China, meanwhile, is considering restrictions on overseas access to its most powerful AI models.
The talks could influence future trade policies and technological collaborations between the two nations. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has indicated that various U.S. government agencies are examining issues like forced technology transfer and intellectual property. China is reportedly seeking real engagement and technical discussions rather than purely political talks. This initial meeting is unlikely to resolve all major problems but could lay the groundwork for future cooperation or continued strategic competition in the AI domain.
The outcome will be crucial for markets and industries reliant on AI development and deployment. Any agreements or disagreements could impact investment flows, research partnerships, and the regulatory landscape for AI globally. The world's two largest economies are setting a precedent for how nations manage the transformative power and inherent risks of artificial intelligence.