US and China establish channel to address artificial intelligence incidents

The United States and China have agreed to establish a bilateral communication channel for incidents involving artificial intelligence, the White House said after President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded a summit on Friday. The agreement was included in a White House fact sheet outlining the outcome of the meeting. The summit addressed several issues, including the growing challenges associated with advanced AI systems.

The two countries also created a “U.S.-China Super Intelligence (SI) Dialogue” to exchange views on the risks and benefits of the technology. The White House said the leaders had agreed to use the term “SI” rather than “AI” in the dialogue. A further exchange is scheduled to take place by November, according to the fact sheet.

The material did not specify how the incident channel would operate, which events would trigger communication or which officials would manage it. Before the summit, Trump said super intelligence would be a major subject of discussion but indicated that he wanted to leave the issue “exactly where it is”. He also said on social media that China held the same position.

Xi adopted a more measured tone, calling on Washington and Beijing to manage their rivalry and keep advanced technology under human control. Speaking at the White House on Thursday, he said both countries had the capability and responsibility to develop and manage AI for good, while ensuring that its development remained under human control.