US and China Meet on AI: Trump Rolls Out Red Carpet for Xi While Both Sides Refuse Global Rules
Trump welcomed Xi to Washington for their first face-to-face AI talks in nine years — and the two rivals still can't agree on who should police machines that can rewrite themselves.
The United States and China are locked in a race to lead the world in artificial intelligence (AI), and on [date] the two countries' leaders met face-to-face in Washington to talk about it. US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping put the AI competition at the center of their talks, even as the two powers made clear they will not let international bodies slow them down [249556][249174].
AI is technology that lets machines perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as learning and decision-making [249556]. Both countries say they want this powerful technology to stay under human control — Xi himself called for keeping AI under human control as the two nations compete for leadership in the field [249133][249556].
The two sides bring different strengths to the fight. Washington leads in advanced AI chips, top research labs and private investment, giving it an edge in building the most powerful AI systems. Beijing leads in research papers, vast amounts of data and everyday deployment of AI — from payments to surveillance — and state funding lets China push projects forward quickly [248496].
The stakes keep rising. Both countries are pouring money and talent into efforts to build self-improving AI — software that can upgrade its own code and design better versions of itself with little or no human help. Experts call this a turning point: a system that can rewrite itself may grow more powerful far faster than humans can control, and neither side has published clear safety rules for such systems [247091].
China made its position plain just as the summit began, unveiling new AI chips and models from its national tech champions. The message to Washington: China cannot be cut off from advanced technology [248851].
Not everyone wants a free-for-all. Ro Khanna, the ranking member of the US House Select Committee on China, said in New York ahead of the summit that the US and China should agree on international rules for AI, similar to the safety controls created during the atomic age [247154]. The two countries also discussed building a system to warn each other about AI-related national security threats [246165].
But when Xi arrived for his first state visit to Washington in nine years, the two superpowers dismissed calls for international oversight of AI. The message: AI development will not be slowed by global regulation [249174]. Trump is also considering creating a task force and a special envoy for AI, steps that suggest the White House may be preparing for a more active role in overseeing the technology — though critics warn regulation could slow American innovation while China pushes ahead [247336].
The personal chemistry cut one way. Trump gave Xi a rare personal reception, a moment China's state media will use as powerful propaganda [249430]. Analysts warn that Trump's personal approach to Xi creates openings Beijing can exploit: Xi views the United States as an adversary to be managed, while China pushes forward its domestic goals and strategic aims in Asia, including Taiwan [249182]. Xi also said China hopes the United States will handle the Taiwan question with prudence [249149].
For people worried about the rapid rise of AI, the summit offered little comfort. The leaders met for a White House dinner just hours after reports that OpenAI had hacked the Australian government — raising a pressing question: who will hold the major US technology companies accountable [249174]?