Trump rejects combining US-China AI efforts
President Donald Trump said the United States will not slow the development of artificial intelligence and rejected cooperating with China on the technology, calling public concerns about AI ‘‘hoaxes.’’ His comments came after a three-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping that did not yield a major AI agreement, though the White House later said a bilateral channel for AI incidents would be created.
Why It Matters
The stance signals the U.S. executive branch prefers accelerated AI development and limited technical integration with China, affecting international coordination on safety, regulation, and incident response. That approach contrasts with calls from lawmakers, tech executives, and the U.N. for stronger guardrails on AI.
Key Facts
- President: Donald Trump
- Partner leader: Xi Jinping
- Setting: After a three-day summit between Trump and Xi
- U.S. position on pausing AI: Trump said the U.S. "is not going to be putting on brakes" for AI
- Cooperation with China: Trump said he would "rather not integrate" U.S. AI efforts with China
President Donald Trump told reporters he opposes slowing the development of artificial intelligence and does not favor integrating U.S. AI efforts with China. Speaking as he left the White House following a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump characterized public alarms about AI as analogous to prior issues he has dismissed as "hoaxes," and said he prefers the United States to maintain its lead over China in the technology.
Trump said the U.S. will not "put on brakes" for AI despite lawmakers and some technology executives advocating for a slowdown amid safety concerns. He also announced a change in official terminology, saying his administration will refer to artificial intelligence as "super intelligence" in government communications; Chinese officials indicated Xi "respects" that rephrasing.
The summit between Trump and Xi did not produce a major joint agreement on AI, according to the president, who said the two leaders "didn't spend that much time talking about it." Still, the White House later announced that the United States and China had agreed to establish a bilateral communication channel to address AI incidents, a move described in the statement as a measure for handling potential problems; there was no immediate comment from Beijing in response to the White House release.
The U.N. secretary-general had urged global leaders to set guardrails for AI, warning that unchecked development without accountability poses risks. Xi has taken a more cautious public posture than Trump, saying AI should develop under human control, and a Chinese foreign ministry statement said parties can strengthen exchanges and seek consensus on AI in light of evolving circumstances.
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