AI fears burst onto Trump-Xi agenda, but challenges abound

Warnings about uncontrolled artificial intelligence have risen ahead of President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s September 24 meeting in Washington, adding urgency to talks that have so far been hampered by strategic rivalry and mutual distrust. While Trump has publicly downplayed existential AI risks, recent calls from U.S. tech leaders and some Chinese officials for caution have raised the prospect of at least opening a dialogue on shared AI risks between the two powers.

By AI Newsroom· Reviewed by Pranav, Founder & Editor-in-ChiefPublished 34 minutes agoUpdated 33 minutes ago0 views

AI fears burst onto Trump-Xi agenda, but challenges abound

Why It Matters

U.S.-China cooperation or coordination on frontier AI governance could affect global efforts to manage risks tied to cyber operations, weaponization and loss of human control — areas both sides have signaled concern about even as they disagree on remedies. Establishing a durable channel for discussing AI safety would mark a substantive step in a relationship that has been largely transactional and competitive on technology issues.

Key Facts

Summit date: Sept. 24 (meeting in Washington, D.C.)
U.S. stance (public): President Trump has called AI's existential threats a 'hoax.'
Administration official open to talks: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he's open to discussing 'shared risks' around AI with Beijing.
Chinese warning: China's top spy chief published a warning that AI could threaten the Chinese Communist Party's hold on power.
Industry calls: Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei urged major AI companies to slow development to allow safety rules to catch up and warned about maintaining a U.S. advantage over China.

Apocalyptic warnings about the dangers of advanced artificial intelligence have become a notable element of the agenda as President Trump prepares to host Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sept. 24 in Washington, D.C. The two countries have previously avoided deep cooperation on AI safeguards amid intense competition for technological primacy and mutual distrust, but recent alarm from parts of the U.S. tech sector has elevated the issue for bilateral discussion.

Public signals from both capitals are mixed. President Trump has publicly minimized existential AI concerns, calling them a 'hoax,' a posture analysts say aligns more closely with Beijing's longstanding public messaging. Still, other voices in the U.S. administration and industry are urging caution: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Axios he would be open to talks on shared AI risks, while leaders of some AI firms have advocated slowing development until safety frameworks can be adopted.

China, too, has shown high-profile internal concerns about AI. In an unusually candid intervention, the country's top intelligence official warned that AI could pose a direct challenge to the Communist Party's hold on power. Beijing's foreign ministry pushed back against characterizations that cast China as a threat, arguing that fear-mongering and confrontation undermine efforts at inclusive global AI governance.

Analysts say expectations for a major agreement on AI at the summit are low; the most realistic outcome would be establishing a durable channel for dialogue. Observers note that who Xi designates to engage with U.S. officials will send a signal about China’s priorities — possibilities include Ding Xuexiang, leaders of the National Development and Reform Commission, or top officials from the Cyberspace Administration, each implying different emphases from industrial cooperation to regulatory focus.

Lawmakers and experts are pressing for specific commitments on inspection and safety standards. Democratic members of Congress have urged Trump to reaffirm a 2024 understanding, reached by President Biden and Xi, that humans — not AI — should control nuclear arms, and Rep. Ro Khanna has scheduled a hearing to press for agreements on pacing development and shared safety measures ahead of the summit.