Geneva to host AI risk talks between US and China

US officials have stressed that Washington’s policies are non-negotiable, as discussions aim to address challenges associated with rapidly evolving tech. The White House has been pushing to work with China on a number of fronts in order to optimise communication and understanding between the global powers.

In April, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi initiated discussions on AI in Beijing, culminating in an agreement to hold formal bilateral conversations on the matter. 

In parallel, the State Department has urged both China and Russia to align with US assertions, affirming that only human intervention, not AI, should dictate decisions regarding the use of nuclear weapons.

“This is the first meeting of its kind. So, we expect to have a discussion of the full range of risks, but wouldn’t prejudge any specifics at this point,” a senior administration official said.

According to an official, China’s swift implementation of AI wizardry through society, armed forces, and national security has consistently jeopardized the safety of the US and its allies. The talks present a unique opportunity for Washington to directly convey its hopes and fears.

From the US side, individuals from the White House, Commerce Department, the State Department, and the National Security Council (NSC) will be involved in the discussions.

“To be very clear, talks with Beijing are not focused on promoting any form of technical collaboration or cooperating on frontier research in any matter. And our technology protection policies are not up for negotiation,” the official said.

As reported by Reuters, Joe Biden’s team will aim to impose safeguards on US-powered proprietary AI models, like those behind popular platforms such as ChatGPT, to protect the technology from nations like China and Russia.

Another US official speaking to journalists highlighted the competitive dynamic between Washington and Beijing in shaping AI regulations while also expressing hopes to find common ground on certain rules that could be universally adopted. 

“We certainly don’t see eye to eye … on many AI topics and applications, but we believe that communication on critical AI risks can make the world safer,” the official said.

Know the risks

As governments compete to take the initiative on building laws designed to control AI, business leaders are under pressure to stay on top of the global conversation and understand evolving policy so that organisations can adapt to the rapidly changing regulatory landscape.