Trump, Xi put AI on White House agenda

Washington: President Donald Trump put artificial intelligence and “superintelligence” on the agenda for his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, while Xi called for AI to remain under human control and serve the public good.

The two leaders raised the technology in speeches at the White House, where Trump welcomed Xi for a state visit. Neither announced an AI agreement or set out a joint plan in the remarks.

Trump said the visit would include discussions of security, technology and superintelligence. Decisions made in those areas now could promote peace and prosperity for decades, he said, adding that he believed the two countries could achieve more by focusing on common interests.

Xi identified AI as a field in which both governments had responsibilities. China and the United States were leading nations in the technology, he said, and each had a role in how it was developed and managed.

“We have both the capability and responsibility to develop and manage AI for good, and ensure that the development of AI is always under human control and serves the well-being of the people,” Xi said, according to the supplied transcript.

Xi did not specify what rules or safeguards he wanted the two countries to adopt. His remarks placed AI alongside trade, law enforcement and travel as possible areas of cooperation, even as he acknowledged differences between the two governments.

“The interests of China and the United States are deeply intertwined, and there is plenty of room for us to work together,” he said.

Xi called for continued dialogue among officials handling foreign affairs, economic matters and finance, as well as law enforcement and people-to-people exchanges. He said candid talks could help the governments understand each other, seek common ground and build trust.

He also urged the two countries to keep competition within bounds. Their militaries should remain in regular contact and improve crisis communication, he said. The remarks put the technology discussion in a broader context: both presidents spoke about how the two powers could manage rivalry while continuing to work together.

Trump pointed to the leaders’ personal relationship. A White House post quoted him as saying they had forged “a friendship, a truly great friendship actually, built on the mutual respect and the vital interests of our people.”

On trade, Trump said officials had been working towards a more balanced relationship since his visit to Beijing in May, including greater market access for American farmers and ranchers. Xi said China welcomed American companies seeking to invest there and hoped Chinese companies would receive fair treatment in the United States.

The welcoming ceremony offered no indication of whether the presidents had reached common ground on AI. Their comments identified it as a subject for discussion during Xi’s Washington visit; any outcome would depend on the talks that followed.

The United States and China established diplomatic relations in 1979. Their relationship now includes extensive trade and exchanges, alongside differences over economic and security policy.

Trump and Xi met during Trump’s first term, including at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property in Florida in 2017. Trump later visited Beijing that year. Thursday’s ceremony was their first meeting together at the White House, according to Trump’s welcoming remarks.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

IANS

[email protected]