US proposes AI incident alert system with China ahead of Trump-Xi summit

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Sunday that the United States has proposed a "notification mechanism" with China for artificial intelligence incidents that could affect national security, a move aimed at building transparency between the world's two leading AI powers ahead of a White House summit later this week.apnews+1

A Step Toward AI Transparency

Bessent revealed the proposal after daylong talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng at JPMorgan Chase ↗ 0.69% headquarters in New York, describing it as a channel for communication rather than a formal treaty. "We want a shared vision of common goals and common threats," Bessent told reporters. "We think that just like any cross-border activity, that moving from opaque to more transparency between the No. 1 and the No. 2 AI powers in the world is very important."thehill+2

The system would allow both countries to alert each other when AI-related incidents rise to a national security level, according to Bessent. Both sides agreed to continue discussions on the AI issue, though no date, location, or format for the next round has been set. Beijing has not indicated whether it accepts the proposal. A readout from China's state news agency Xinhua confirmed AI was discussed but did not mention the American proposal specifically, describing only "candid, in-depth and constructive" exchanges on economic and trade matters.thenextweb+3

Trade Groundwork for Thursday's Summit

Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Sunday's talks laid the groundwork for a meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping set for Thursday at the White House. The two sides agreed to operationalize a new "Board of Trade" that Trump and Xi first discussed during their meeting in Beijing in May. "Today those notions have become reality," Greer said.apnews+1

Greer added that the countries are still working out which "nonsensitive" goods could qualify for lower tariffs, with the list potentially including consumer and agricultural goods, energy products, and medical devices. He noted that export controls on advanced AI chips and semiconductor manufacturing equipment were not on the agenda.nbcnews+2

AI Safety Debate Looms Large

The proposal arrives amid intensifying debate in Washington over AI safety, with several researchers and industry leaders warning about the technology's potential dangers. Trump has resisted calls to slow AI development, arguing that doing so would allow China to close the gap with American companies. George Chen, a partner at The Asia Group consultancy, called the initial outcome noteworthy: "The AI risk notification mechanism sets a precedent that other countries may follow."bbc+3

A major unresolved question heading into Thursday's summit is whether the two leaders will extend a trade truce set to expire on November 10.nbcnews+1