Tim Cook, Sam Altman to attend Trump-Xi Jinping state dinner
What's the story
Tim Cook, the Executive Chairman of Apple Inc. and Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, will attend a state dinner hosted by US President Donald Trump for Chinese President Xi Jinping next week, according to Bloomberg. The White House has not yet commented on the matter. Executives are expected to join other business leaders at the dinner, including NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang.
Geopolitical context
Geopolitical tensions and AI race impact on US-China relations
The upcoming state dinner comes at a time when US-China relations and the AI industry are under strain.
There are rising geopolitical tensions over the AI race, trade, and the Middle East. Despite these issues, Trump has said that he shares a "great relationship" with Xi.
Meanwhile, leaders in the AI sector are debating whether to slow down technology development due to possible risks to humanity.
Leadership transition
Cook's transition from CEO to executive chairman
Cook stepped down as Apple's CEO on September 1.
He now serves as the executive chairman and intends to continue his work in government relations, including negotiations with the White House and China.
This change comes as Cook prepares for his participation in high-profile events such as Trump's state dinner for Xi Jinping.