U.S. and China agree to "super intelligence" dialogue amid AI tensions

Ben Berkowitz

President Trump puts his right hand on the left arm of China's Xi Jinping. — President Trump and Xi Jinping. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

The U.S. and China have agreed to set up a dialogue on artificial intelligence, with a communications channel to help defuse serious incidents, the White House said overnight.

Why it matters: President Trump has said the main thing that matters in the AI race is beating China — but the pact acknowledges that they're serious competition, too.

Driving the news: The White House released a fact sheet late Friday night with outcomes from Trump's summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

The two sides agreed to refer to AI as "super intelligence" or "SI," the White House said — Trump's new and preferred term for the technology.
They will create a "U.S.-China Super Intelligence (SI) Dialogue" to meet on "risks and benefits related to SI," with the next meeting by November.

Zoom in: The administration also said there would be a "bilateral communication channel for SI incidents," which some have likened to a Cold War-era "red telephone" between the two nations.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent focused on creating the channel during last weekend's pre-summit meetings with Chinese officials.

Yes, but: It's not clear what kind of incidents would rise to the level of using the channel, or what kinds of notifications each side would give the other.

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U.S. and China agree to "super intelligence" dialogue amid AI tensions

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