Democrats Push for US-China Talks on AI Risks Amid Rapid Advancements
A group of House Democrats has called on the Trump administration to engage in sustained diplomatic talks with China over artificial intelligence (AI) risks. In a letter sent on September 18, Rep. Gregory Meeks and over two dozen other lawmakers urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to establish structured dialogue with Beijing.
The Democrats argue that current communication channels between Washington and Beijing are inadequate for addressing the rapid advancement of AI capabilities. They propose a binding international agreement on responsible AI development, which would ensure human oversight over nuclear weapon launch decisions.
Rep. Ro Khanna has separately reached out to Chinese AI firms, including Moonshot AI and Alibaba, seeking commitments towards this agreement. Reps. Ted Lieu and Sen. Ed Markey have also sent letters urging specific commitments from China on maintaining human oversight over nuclear decision-making.
The calls for action come as a virtual hearing focused on US-China AI risks is scheduled for September 23. This may lead to proposed legislation mandating the establishment of a bilateral AI risk communication channel, similar to nuclear hotline frameworks established during the Cold War.