From WIRED · Hugo Lowell · · 2m
US and China plan AI hotline, but details remain unclear
Trump and Xi prepare to meet as the US proposes an AI notification system modelled on Cold War diplomacy, though officials say finalizing it will take weeks.
In brief
Trump and Xi prepare to meet as the US proposes an AI notification system modelled on Cold War diplomacy, though officials say finalizing it will take weeks. The US is proposing an AI notification system with China to alert each other about national security issues, but officials expect it will take weeks to finalize…
Trump and Xi meet as AI rises up the agenda
US president Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping prepare to meet in Washington for a state dinner at the White House on Thursday. Tech executives from OpenAI and Nvidia have confirmed their attendance.
US proposes AI notification system with China
Treasury secretary Scott Bessent announced a US proposal to establish an AI notification system with China, akin to the Cold War hotline with Moscow. It would allow each country to alert the other about national security issues related to AI.
Finalizing the system will take weeks
Trump administration officials expect it will still take a number of weeks to finalize an agreement, even if they are optimistic that the hotline could be in place before the year's end. Several parts need to be formalized in more detail.
Key sticking points remain unresolved
Officials must establish benchmarks on what kind of incident rises to the level of a national security issue, which remains unclear. China has been noncommittal about explicitly signing on to the system.
Enforcement and chip exports complicate talks
Trump officials have discussed enforcement measures to ensure the US does not become the only country alerting the other. But with Trump reluctant to stop exports of cutting-edge Nvidia chips to China, developing a framework with teeth could take time to get White House approval.
AI czar appointment could further delay progress
Some Trump officials have suggested the notification system may be delayed while Trump decides who to appoint as his next AI czar. Candidates include Treasury secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce secretary Howard Lutnick, and White House AI officials Michael Kratsios and Sean Cairncross.
The main idea
The US is proposing an AI notification system with China to alert each other about national security issues, but officials expect it will take weeks to finalize despite hopes it could be in place before year's end.
