US Officials Warn China Over Potential AI Misuse

Top U.S. and Chinese officials met in Geneva this week to discuss AI, warning China about the potential misuse of the technology.

The talks were organized by Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping after the pair agreed during last November's San Francisco summit that the two nations need to address AI risks.

The White House said its delegation had “candid and constructive” discussions with their Chinese counterparts, with both groups exchanging perspectives on approaches to AI safety and risk management.

U.S. officials raised concerns at the meeting about China’s potential misuse of AI.

China is subject to U.S. sanctions over its use of AI-powered biometric facial recognition systems, using technology from companies including SenseTime to monitor citizens.

The Biden administration has also placed restrictions on exports of AI chips to China over national security fears, severely limiting the country’s access to powerful hardware from vendors like Nvidia. Some Chinese companies are desperate to get around the restrictions they are using gaming chips and reworking the hardware to power AI training.

The U.S. delegation called on China officials to maintain open lines of communication on AI risks.

The U.S. delegation also sought to highlight the importance of developing trustworthy AI.

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It called on China to help build a global consensus. China was among the countries that backed a U.S.-led United Nations resolution calling for global support for rights-respecting AI systems.

A White House statement said U.S. officials also stressed the importance of sustainable AI development.

The U.S. delegation included officials from the White House, the State Department and the Department of Commerce. The delegation was led by Tarun Chhabra, special assistant to the president and senior director for technology and national security, and Seth Center, the State Department’s acting special envoy for critical and emerging technology

They met with Chinese officials from the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cyberspace Administration and Ministry of Science and Technology.