The US and China are exploring official talks on artificial intelligence, with discussions led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on the US side and Vice Finance Minister Liao Min on the Chinese side.

A summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping scheduled for May 14 and 15 in Beijing could include AI discussions. The two countries are planning regular meetings to address risks such as unexpected behavior in AI models, autonomous weapons systems, and attacks by non-state actors using open-source tools.

A first round of AI talks began in 2023 under Joe Biden but produced few concrete outcomes. According to Rush Doshi, who led those negotiations, Beijing sent its foreign ministry instead of a technical agency, limiting what could be accomplished. The two sides did agree in 2024 that humans—not AI—should make decisions about nuclear weapons use.

An AI hotline between the two governments is under discussion as part of the ongoing diplomatic efforts.