Agreement on the risks of nuclear weapons and AI: Important discussion between Biden-Xi
19-Nov-2024
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Joe Biden and Xi Jinping met at APEC summit in Peru and discussed areas of cooperation and areas of differences.
Outgoing US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Saturday agreed to address the “risks of AI systems" and affirmed that the decision on the use of nuclear weapons will be made by humans and not artificial intelligence. The two leaders stressed on the need to carefully develop AI technology in the military in a “responsible manner".
Joe Biden-Xi Jinping Meeting
Biden and Xi met at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Peru and held discussions on a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues, including areas of cooperation and areas of difference, the White House said in a statement. This was the third meeting between the two Presidents and followed their April 2, 2024, telephone call.
“The two leaders affirmed the need to maintain human control over the decision to use nuclear weapons. The two leaders also stressed the need to consider carefully the potential risks and develop AI technology in the military field in a prudent and responsible manner," the White House readout said.
Beijing is said to be quickly growing its nuclear weapons stockpile, while Washington has been working for months to overcome opposition to talks about nuclear weapons. The meeting and discussions between the two leaders are the first move towards addressing the issues.
China has not officially made any comments on Xi’s discussions on nuclear weapons with Biden. The US and China resumed their official-level nuclear arms negotiations this month, however, the talks stalled as the US accused China of lack of responsiveness.
The US Department of Defence reports that Beijing currently has 500 operational nuclear warheads and is likely to have over 1,000 in the next five years.
Make The Wise Choice’: Xi Tells Biden
Xi told Biden that China is ready to cooperate with the incoming Trump administration. “China is ready to work with a new US administration to maintain communication, expand cooperation and manage differences to strive for a steady transition of the China-US relationship for the benefit of the two peoples," Xi said.
“When the two countries treat each other as partner and friend, seek common ground while shelving differences and help each other succeed, our relationship would make considerable progress. But if we take each other as rivals or adversary, pursue vicious competition, and seek to hurt each other, we would roil the relationship or even set it back," Xi said. “Make the wise choice," he said, adding “Keep exploring the right way for two major countries to get along well with each other".(Agency)