Beijing Agrees to AI Safety Talks After Trump's 1 China Visit

10 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · May 17

Beijing agreed to formal talks with Washington on artificial intelligence safety, one of the clearest outcomes from President Donald Trump’s China visit.
The opening creates a channel for dialogue between strategic rivals on a fast-moving technology, but the report argues the talks could backfire if U.S. negotiators treat AI like a nuclear arms-control problem.
That risk reflects AI’s different dynamics: commercial competition, rapid iteration and weaker verification tools make traditional arms-control frameworks a poor fit.
The broader implication is that U.S.-China engagement on AI may still be worth pursuing, but only if it is narrowly designed to reduce danger rather than force a Cold War-style bargain.

Can Washington and Beijing build trust on AI safety when the technology itself is central to their global competition?

If the nuclear playbook is wrong for AI, what new model can prevent a catastrophic arms race between the U.S. and China?

With AI models recommending nuclear use in simulations, are safety talks enough to prevent an automated conflict?