AI poses a shared risk for the countries, but competition looms, analysts said.
asserted
analysts → pose → countries
Public concern over the possible catastrophic risk of AI had been growing even before President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed the tech at a summit in Washington.
asserted
Trump → grow → Washington
An AI researcher at Anthropic resigned in protest earlier this month over what he considered reckless safety risks, while a top safety researcher at the company warned in a post on X that there is a 10% chance AI could "kill all humans" over the next decade.
uncertain
AI → resign → decade
The danger of out-of-control AI, in theory, presents a shared threat for both global powers, some analysts told ABC News, though they disagree about the likelihood of such a catastrophe.
asserted
they → present → catastrophe
An extinction event of the type feared by some AI critics would devastate China and the U.S., alongside all of humanity; and other risks like AI-fueled terrorist attacks could endanger both countries, analysts said.
uncertain
analysts → fear → countries
Still, they added, the two countries view AI as a key site for economic and military competition, making substantial cooperation unlikely anytime soon.
asserted
cooperation → add → competition
Modest steps toward common ground could emerge, however, setting a course toward deeper diplomatic ties as the technology gains wider adoption.
uncertain
technology → emerge → adoption
"Both sides have an interest in avoiding a catastrophe, but they have both professed the value of AI for global competition," Sarah Kreps, the director of the Tech Policy Institute at Cornell University, told ABC News.
asserted
Kreps → have → News
"That makes it very difficult to take aggressive action together."
asserted
it → make → action
Even as some of the nation's most powerful artificial intelligence executives warned lately about a potential catastrophe wrought by AI, they acknowledged substantial pressure to develop the technology anyway.
asserted
they → warn → technology
A key reason for this urgency, they say: Competition with AI firms in China.
asserted
they → say → China
When Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei earlier this month announced a precautionary slowdown of AI development, he pointed out the danger that Chinese companies may eventually pull ahead, "creating significant national security risk."
uncertain
companies → announce → risk
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also dialed back his company's AI development this month, saying in a post on X, "No amount of American competitive pressure should justify recklessness."
asserted
amount → dial → recklessness
Last week, OpenAI issued a statement calling for "critical infrastructure operators and governments worldwide to establish secure channels of communication to share national security concerns, emerging vulnerabilities and threats."
asserted
operators → issue → concerns
The remarks helped set the stage for the Trump-Xi summit last week.
asserted
remarks → set → summit
Top AI executives attended a state dinner at the White House on Thursday, including Altman, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Elon Musk, the CEO of xAI-parent company SpaceX.
Xi struck a conciliatory posture in his opening remarks at the summit.
asserted
Xi → attend → summit
"We have both the capability and responsibility to develop and manage AI for good, and ensure that the development of AI is always under human control and serves the well-being of the people," Xi said on Thursday.
asserted
Xi → have → Thursday
The White House, meanwhile, touted some AI-related agreements at the conclusion of the summit the next day.
asserted
House → tout → summit
The two countries established a dialogue channel focused on the risks and benefits presented by AI, setting a follow-up exchange in November, the White House said on Friday.
asserted
House → establish → Friday
The two sides also agreed to refer to artificial intelligence by Trump's preferred label of "super intelligence," the White House said.
asserted
House → agree → intelligence
Still, Trump has frequently emphasized the importance of outpacing China in the development of the technology.
asserted
Trump → emphasize → technology
"Whoever wins with AI wins," Trump told reporters in Ireland earlier this month, downplaying the need to slow the advancement of AI.
asserted
Trump → win → AI
Vasant Dhar, a professor of data science at New York University, said Trump appears to view substantial U.S.-China cooperation as an obstacle for AI development.
asserted
Trump → say → development
"The current administration isn’t in the mood to consider anything that smells remotely of putting the shackles on 'winning the AI race,'" Dhar said.
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Dhar → consider → race
A possible accord may pose challenges for China, some analysts said.
uncertain
analysts → pose → China
Chinese firms face difficulty verifying commitments to slow AI advancement issued by U.S.-based AI firms in recent weeks, Chenghao Sun, head of the U.S.-Europe Center for International Security and Strategy at Beijing-based Tsinghua University, said in a Substack post on Monday.
asserted
Sun → face → Monday
"Before restraint can become reciprocal, it has to become observable," Sun said.
asserted
Sun → become → ?
A potential U.S.-China agreement on AI development could also deny Chinese firms an "opportunity to narrow the technological gap," Sun added.
uncertain
Sun → deny → gap
"Pacing can look like a way to preserve the existing hierarchy."
Despite points of tension between the two countries, incremental diplomatic progress could yield a future breakthrough if AI fallout intensifies, some analysts said.
uncertain
analysts → look → breakthrough
"It’d be good to set the relationship on a somewhat more trusting path," Gary Marcus, a professor emeritus at New York University who studies AI, told ABC News.
asserted
who → set → News
"One needs to balance competitive interests against the real risks to global stability."
asserted
One → need → stability
The Aporia
