AI rivalry overshadows push for guardrails at Xi-Trump talks: experts
AI rivalry overshadows push for guardrails at Xi-Trump talks: experts
Publish Date: 2026-05-12 23:28:00
Source Domain: www.digitaljournal.com
The White House recently accused Chinese entities of “industrial-scale” efforts to steal US technology on artificial intelligence – Copyright AFP Kent NISHIMURA
Luna Lin with Katie Forster in Tokyo
Fears that artificial intelligence could help people design bioweapons or hack into national infrastructure are mutual concerns for Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, despite their countries’ fierce rivalry over the technology, analysts say.
As the leaders prepare for a rare summit in Beijing this week, policy experts have stressed the importance of US-Chinese discussions on steps to contain the risks, such as a hotline for de-escalation when an AI crisis hits.
But with China set on narrowing the United States’ lead in the strategic sector, the stakes will be high.
“There is a kind of shared concern about where this AI arms race might be going,” and if it could create an “out of control” scenario, said Michael Jinghan Zeng, a professor at City University of Hong Kong.
“Despite critical disagreements on a wide range of issues, there is also this kind of understanding from both sides” on the need for AI guardrails, he told AFP.
The White House recently accused Chinese entities of “industrial-scale” efforts to steal US technology, while Beijing blocked the acquisition of a Chinese-founded AI agent tool by tech giant Meta.
In 2024, Xi agreed with Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden that humans must remain in control of the decision to fire nuclear weapons.
Although little more has followed, Xi and Trump could “commit to some rhetorical signal” in Beijing as a basis for further cooperation, Zeng said.
– ‘Catastrophic risks’ –
The AI cybersecurity threat has been highlighted by Mythos, a powerful new model that US startup Anthropic withheld from public release to stop it from being exploited by hackers.
And “if a non-state actor uses an AI model to develop a biological weapon, that could pose catastrophic risks to both the United States and…
