On Wednesday, U.S. and Chinese officials presented completely different views on the safety of artificial intelligence (AI) at a United Nations Security Council meeting. While U.S. representatives emphasized the non-expansion of regulation, China pointed to potential limitations on AI technology. This contradiction in views reflects serious challenges in reaching a global agreement on the evolving technology.
The U.S. Position on Global Regulation
Michael Kratsios, the White House Chief Technology Officer, strongly opposed the proposal for a global governance framework to control AI development. He stated at the meeting: "The United States fully rejects any effort to create a global scheme to control superintelligent AI." These remarks were quoted from Donald Trump's speech at the United Nations General Assembly.
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Kratsios also mentioned that the United States is committed to diplomacy and dialogue but emphasized that countries must maintain their "national sovereignty" regarding AI regulation and not delegate responsibility to international bodies.
China's Call for Global Cooperation
In contrast, Fu Cong, China's representative at the United Nations, called for closer global cooperation to establish AI safety. He stated: "We must strengthen the coordination and alignment of AI development strategies, governance, and technical standards, and strive to create a global governance framework based on consensus as soon as possible to protect international peace and security."
Fu also indirectly warned the United States, stating that the dynamic of "us versus them" would benefit "some major powers" that are trying to maintain their digital supremacy through technology monopolies.
On Tuesday, Donald Trump said that U.S. AI efforts are "now significantly ahead of China and other countries, and we intend to maintain that position." Like Fu, several senior executives in the U.S. technology industry have also called for the establishment of global safety measures for AI.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, emphasized the need for "a mechanism for national and international border standards" in his opening remarks at the meeting. This position was in line with a proposal his company released on Monday. Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, also expressed support for international cooperation to ensure safety alongside capabilities.
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