According to reports from Bloomberg, senior US government officials have expressed their concerns over the security implications of China’s development of artificial intelligence during the upcoming talks in Geneva. They intend to engage in discussions with Chinese representatives regarding this emerging technology.
The anonymous White House officials informed Bloomberg that representatives from the US and China will meet in Geneva on Tuesday, May 14, for a dialogue initiated as a result of a decision made by US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping last year. This will be the first bilateral discussion on artificial intelligence security, aiming to address concerns surrounding the safety and protection of artificial intelligence, despite the escalating competition between the two countries in this field.
During their last face-to-face meeting in November, Biden and Xi agreed to organize a dialogue on artificial intelligence security. The two leaders also discussed this issue in a phone call last month.
A senior White House official stated that China has been deploying artificial intelligence equipment that poses threats to the national security of the US and its allies. US officials plan to continue expressing these concerns during the talks.
Another official mentioned that US officials will also discuss the respective regulatory approaches towards artificial intelligence and explore ways to advance global discussions to ensure effective risk management.
Before the Geneva talks, the US engaged in extensive consultations with its allies on issues related to the regulation of artificial intelligence risk.
The US, China, and the EU are all vying for control over the regulation of artificial intelligence. With the increased use of tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Alphabet’s Bard, the Biden administration has stepped up regulatory scrutiny on artificial intelligence. Before legislation is introduced in Congress, administrative measures have been taken to establish standards for security and privacy protection.
Under the guise of protecting data security, the Biden administration has taken punitive actions, including issuing a comprehensive executive order earlier this year aimed at preventing “adversaries” from accessing sensitive data of American citizens in bulk. Additionally, legislation was signed requiring the Beijing-based company ByteDance to divest its social media app TikTok by a specified deadline, or else face a ban on selling it in US app stores.
The Biden administration is highly sensitive to the dual-edged sword of artificial intelligence. President Biden referred to the potential and risks of artificial intelligence as “the most significant technological development in human history,” acknowledging that it could surpass human cognitive abilities, which is concerning. He emphasized the importance of ensuring it remains under control.
Authorities in China have issued 24 guidelines that focus on AI-generated services, including creating images, videos, text, and other content, which have been in effect since August 15th.
In March, the United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution led by the US, encouraging countries to govern and support the development of artificial intelligence through responsible and inclusive domestic regulations. This initiative garnered support from over 110 countries, including China as a co-sponsor. Subsequently, China began drafting a resolution aimed at narrowing the gap between developed and developing countries in advancing artificial intelligence.
US officials downplayed any expectations regarding the outcome of the Geneva talks. One official stated that the emphasis of the discussions would be on the various risks posed by artificial intelligence. When asked if private sector representatives would be invited to the talks, the US official clarified that the discussions would be conducted at the governmental level.
Undoubtedly, the rapid application of artificial intelligence is just one factor in the extensive competition in cutting-edge technologies between the two largest economies in the world, the US and China. This competition extends to sectors such as semiconductors, telecommunications, electric vehicles, and quantum computing.
President Biden and the presumptive Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, both aim to display a tough stance towards China ahead of the 2024 election.
President Biden pledged to continue efforts to prevent China from obtaining advanced technologies like computer chips and chip manufacturing equipment. This stance has spurred Xi Jinping’s efforts to accelerate achieving self-sufficiency in these areas.