High-level envoys from the United States and China are set to meet in Geneva on Tuesday for talks about artificial intelligence, including the risks of the fast-evolving technology and ways to set shared standards to manage it. The meeting, billed as an opening exchange of views, is the first under an intergovernmental dialogue on AI agreed upon during a multi-faceted meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco in November.
Both the U.S. and China see AI as crucial for national security and economic growth, with the Biden administration focusing on the development of safe, secure, and trustworthy AI. The U.S. government also sees efforts undertaken on AI by China as possibly undermining national security and has been vying to stay ahead of Beijing on the use of AI in weapons systems.
China’s official Xinhua news agency stated that the two sides would discuss issues including the technological risks of AI and global governance. Sam Bresnick, a research fellow at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, highlighted the importance of these meetings in understanding China’s approach to defining and mitigating AI risks.
The National Security Council at the White House confirmed that the U.S. team is being led by presidential adviser Tarun Chhabra and the U.S. State Department’s acting special envoy for critical and emerging technologies, Seth Center. The meeting underscores the global race to regulate artificial intelligence as it continues to advance and impact various aspects of daily life.
Government leaders from multiple countries are expected to convene in Seoul next week for talks on the safety of cutting-edge AI models, following a successful first round last year in Britain. The dialogue between the U.S. and China marks a significant step in addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence.