US floats superpower AI safety mechanism in China talks

The proposal arrives at a moment when US and Chinese leaders have largely maintained positive rhetoric toward one another and the countries have stepped back from the all-out trade war that characterized their ties a year ago. That softer tone is the backdrop for this week's leaders' summit, where the AI safety mechanism was floated with top Chinese economic officials. Still, the differences between the two sides are both broad and deep, spanning technology, trade, and Taiwan, which is why analysts are tempering expectations. The baseline view among Chinese analysts is merely a prolongation of the truce, according to one scholar, while Goldman Sachs said investors it surveyed expected the talks to be largely symbolic. Whether the AI safety idea advances may hinge on whether the broader relationship can hold its current, limited calm.