US proposes AI safety notification system ahead of Trump-Xi meet
What's the story
Ahead of the upcoming summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has proposed a new artificial intelligence (AI) safety notification system. The proposal was made during Bessent's talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in New York on Sunday. The proposed system would be aimed at addressing national security concerns related to AI incidents that could rise to a national security level.
Proposal details
Bessent calls for new US-China AI dialogue
Bessent revealed that the talks also touched on establishing a new US-China AI dialogue. The focus would be on national security concerns, with a notification system for common goals and threats.
He emphasized the importance of transparency between the world's top two AI powers, saying, "We think that, just like with any cross-border activity, that moving from opaque to more transparency between the number one and the number two AI powers in the world is very important."
Past talks
AI consultations first proposed in May
The idea of US-China consultations on AI development was first broached in May during a meeting in Beijing. However, the forum was never formalized.
The Chinese response to the latest proposal remains unclear, with state news agency Xinhua only briefly acknowledging that both sides discussed AI.
Agenda clarification
US export controls on chips not part of AI talks
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer clarified that US export controls on advanced AI chips and semiconductor manufacturing equipment were not part of the AI mechanism talks.
He also said that Sunday's discussions would lay the groundwork for a "successful summit" between Trump and Xi later this week in Washington.
Greer stressed the importance of cooperation between the two countries, saying, "These are the two most powerful countries on Earth."
Trade discussions
Plans to operationalize tariff cut process discussed
The meeting also covered other important issues, including plans to "operationalize" a process agreed upon in May for both sides to identify potential tariff cuts on non-strategic goods.
Greer didn't specify which products might be eligible for such reductions but reiterated his desire for a "relatively small subset of American and Chinese goods that can be traded in a balanced way."
Mineral trade
No mention of progress in critical minerals flow to US
Greer and Bessent didn't mention any progress in improving the flow of critical minerals to US companies.
This comes despite Beijing's earlier commitments to ease restrictions under last year's US-China trade truce.
The talks suggest incremental progress in avoiding an escalation of tensions in a delicate trade relationship with major implications for the global economy.