The US has proposed a new mechanism with China to notify each other about artificial intelligence incidents that could pose national security threats, putting AI safety and transparency on the agenda ahead of President Donald Trump's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week.
The proposal was discussed during talks in New York between US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. Bessent said the two sides want greater transparency between the world's two leading AI powers and a shared understanding of common risks, according to reports.
The proposed notification system would focus on AI-related incidents reaching the level of a national security concern, news agency AP reported.
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However, the proposal is yet to be finalised by President Trump, and China has not publicly confirmed whether it will support the proposal. Chinese state media described the discussions as candid, in-depth and constructive.
The AI discussions are part of broader US-China negotiations ahead of the Trump-Xi summit. Greer said Washington and Beijing had agreed to operationalise a Board of Trade, which could examine a relatively small group of non-sensitive goods for potential lower tariffs.
The categories under discussion include consumer products, agricultural goods, energy products and medical devices.
The wider discussions also come as China expands its AI and data-centre infrastructure, with the information provided by Fox News putting China's planned data-centre expansion at $500 billion.
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Greer said advanced AI chip and semiconductor manufacturing-equipment export controls were not part of the proposed AI notification mechanism.
The talks also involve broader purchasing commitments cited in the supplied material, including 150 Boeing aircraft and $4 billion in US agricultural goods, though those figures were not confirmed in the latest official or wire reports reviewed.
The focus remains on preparing the ground for the Trump-Xi meeting and establishing channels for managing technology and trade issues.
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