Summary Trump and Xi are set to discuss artificial intelligence as Washington and Beijing navigate growing technological competition and AI safety concerns.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - US President Donald Trump said artificial intelligence will be a major topic when he meets Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, while indicating that both sides want to maintain the current approach.
“A big day with President Xi of China,” Trump said in a social media post, adding that “Super Intelligence” would be a major topic of discussion. He said he wanted to “leave it exactly where it is,” and indicated that China shared that position.
Trump referred to the US Department of Justice as the country’s “guardrail” on artificial intelligence. He has previously said the United States already has mechanisms in place to regulate and prosecute AI companies.
The discussion comes amid growing international debate over the potential risks of increasingly powerful AI systems and the intensifying technological competition between Washington and Beijing.
Xi’s visit to Washington follows renewed concerns over the possible misuse and long-term risks of artificial intelligence. An Anthropic researcher recently warned that some people developing the technology believe it could pose an extreme threat to humanity later this decade.
Despite concerns about AI safety, analysts cited by Reuters said the strategic competition between the United States and China could limit the scope for substantive agreements between the two countries.
Trump has largely supported the expansion of the US technology sector during his second term and has pushed back against some criticism of rapid AI development.
Several prominent technology executives are expected to attend a White House state dinner for Xi, including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.
The AI discussions come as Washington and Beijing continue to compete over advanced technology, computing capabilities and the strategic development of artificial intelligence.
