The United States has proposed a new system for notifying each other about artificial intelligence incidents that could pose national security risks, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday.
The proposal was discussed during weekend talks in New York between Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, ahead of a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House this week, reports AP.
“We want a shared vision of common goals and common threats,” Bessent told reporters after the talks.
He stressed the importance of greater transparency between the world’s two leading AI powers, particularly as AI-related activities increasingly cross national borders.
Meanwhile, President Trump has opposed calls to slow AI development, arguing that doing so could allow China to narrow the gap with US companies.
Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the weekend negotiations helped prepare the way for Thursday’s meeting between Trump and Xi.
Greer said the two sides had also agreed to put into operation a new “Board of Trade”, an initiative previously discussed by the two leaders during their meeting in Beijing in May.
The two countries are still discussing which “nonsensitive” goods could qualify for lower tariffs, Greer added. The list could include consumer and agricultural products, energy goods and medical devices.
China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported that Bessent and He discussed AI-related issues and held “candid, in-depth and constructive” talks on major economic and trade matters.
Commenting on the outcome, George Chen, a partner and chair of digital practice at The Asia Group, said the agreement to continue discussions was significant.
Chen said the proposed AI risk notification system could provide a model for other countries.
