US-China AI Talks Hit Roadblock Over Trust
US-China AI Talks Yield No Binding Limits, Focuses on Risk Notification
The latest discussions between Washington and Beijing on artificial intelligence (AI) security have failed to produce binding agreements, according to former US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell. This lack of progress is attributed to a fundamental trust deficit that no amount of diplomacy has managed to close.
Campbell emphasized that the talks are centered around risk notification mechanisms rather than formal restrictions. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent led discussions in New York on September 20, proposing a framework for a 'US-China A.I. dialogue.' This framework would establish a system where each country notifies the other about national security-level AI incidents.
Nvidia's presence at the talks is significant, as the chipmaker sits at the center of the AI supply chain and has been subject to US export restrictions targeting China since 2022. However, the proposed dialogue framework explicitly excludes semiconductor export controls, suggesting that both sides are keeping contentious issues off the table.