Trump rejects cooperation and slowing pace
United States President Donald Trump stated that the country will not cooperate with China on artificial intelligence technology, rejecting growing calls to slow down or regulate its development. Speaking to reporters on Saturday as he departed the White House, Trump asserted that the US “is not going to be putting on brakes” for the technology, despite agreements between some US lawmakers and major tech CEOs on the need to slow its pace due to potential risks to humanity.
Trump dismissed concerns surrounding rapid AI advancement, comparing the fears to issues he has previously characterized as hoaxes, including climate change and the 2016 campaign investigation involving Russia. “What they wanna do is stop our progress, because we’re leading China by a lot,” Trump said. Regarding integration with Beijing, he added, “I would rather not integrate, because we’re leading by a lot. When you’re leading, you don’t open it up to each other.”
Summit talks and communication channels
Prior to Trump’s remarks, the US president concluded a three-day summit in Washington, DC, with Chinese President Xi Jinping. US lawmakers and experts had anticipated a breakthrough agreement on AI from the meeting, but Trump noted that they “didn’t spend that much time talking about it.”
Following the summit, the White House announced on Friday that the US and China agreed to establish a bilateral communication channel to handle AI incidents. There was no immediate public comment from Beijing regarding the White House statement.
Terminology and differing approaches
Trump indicated that his AI discussions with Xi largely focused on his preferred terminology for the technology: “super intelligence” (SI). Trump announced on Tuesday that his administration would adopt this name in official communications.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Saturday that China “respects” the US switch in phrasing, noting that all parties can strengthen exchanges and discuss development in light of the latest situation. While Trump pushes forward without slowing progress, Chinese President Xi Jinping has previously taken a more measured tone, emphasizing that the technology must develop under human control.
