Fears of an AI breakthrough force the U.S. and China to talk

"They authorized a diplomatic effort that would begin in 2024 in Switzerland, only months before the U.S. presidential election. A large U.S. delegation arrived with high hopes that were abruptly dashed, according to four sources who attended the talks. The Chinese contingent dismissed American concerns over runaway AI as academic, almost theoretical, quickly turning the conversation to export controls seen in Beijing as yet another U.S. effort to hold China back."

""They naturally view any American diplomatic initiative involving limitations or restrictions of one flavor or another on a capability as being a trap," Jake Sullivan, U.S. national security advisor under President Biden, said in an interview."

"Despite the distrust - and Democrats losing the White House to Donald Trump - an accord was struck in November of that year in Peru, where both sides agreed to keep AI out of the command and control of nuclear weapons. "It was a breaking of the seal that we could actually do something on AI," Sullivan said."

""In the transition, I told the incoming Trump team that they should really pick up that dialogue. But the Trump administration's view was just far more laissez-faire, and they didn't seem particularly interested in it." "That's all changed in the past few weeks," he added."

The United States and China held early high-level talks on AI dangers, with both sides seeking an emergency communication channel between Beijing and Washington. A diplomatic effort was planned to begin in 2024 in Switzerland, but U.S. hopes were quickly undermined by Chinese dismissal of runaway AI concerns as largely academic. The talks shifted toward export controls, which China viewed as another U.S. attempt to constrain China’s capabilities. Despite distrust and a change in U.S. leadership, an accord was reached in November in Peru to keep AI out of nuclear command and control. The U.S. national security advisor said the dialogue should be continued, noting a shift in recent weeks toward renewed engagement ahead of a Trump state visit to China.

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