LIMA (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed on Saturday that human beings, not artificial intelligence, should decide on nuclear weapon use, according to the White House. Biden and Xi stressed that responsible AI use in defense can help reduce threats. #BidenXiAI
“The two leaders affirmed the need to maintain human control over the decision to use nuclear weapons,” the White House said. They also emphasized the importance of carefully considering the potential risks and developing AI technology in the military field in a responsible way.
An official Chinese government summary echoed this point. The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the meeting.
It remains unclear whether this statement will lead to further talks or action. However, this marks a significant initial step between the two nations in addressing the difficult issues of nuclear arms and AI.
Washington has been urging Beijing for months to move past its longstanding reluctance to engage in nuclear arms talks.
The two nations briefly resumed official-level nuclear arms talks in November. However, those negotiations stalled, with a U.S. official expressing frustration about China’s responsiveness.
Formal nuclear arms control negotiations are not expected soon. This remains true despite U.S. concerns over China’s rapid nuclear weapons build-up and ongoing semi-official exchanges.
In May, China and the United States held their first formal bilateral talks on artificial intelligence in Geneva. However, these talks likely did not address nuclear weapon decision-making. #BidenXiAI
Last year, the U.S. defense department estimated Beijing has 500 operational nuclear warheads. By 2030, they will likely field over 1,000.
In comparison, the United States and Russia have 1,770 and 1,710 operational warheads, respectively. By 2030, Beijing’s weapons may be kept at higher readiness levels.
Furthermore, these Biden Xi AI discussions may pave the way for future agreements. Yet, they understand that meaningful progress will be slow. Nevertheless, global leaders must address AI’s role in military contexts.
