UNGA: UN Chief Calls for US-China Dialogue on AI

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on the United States and China to open dialogue on the rapidly developing future of artificial intelligence, comparing the need for cooperation to US-Soviet engagement during the Cold War.

“Governments with the greatest AI capabilities have the greatest responsibilities to humanity, to establish channels for dialogue, transparency, trust and cooperation,” Guterres said.

“At a pivotal moment during the Cold War, strategic rivals came to recognise the need to manage shared existential risks.”

The United States and China are discussing the creation of a communication channel to address concerns surrounding artificial intelligence ahead of a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.

The discussions come as both countries face growing concerns about increasingly capable AI systems and their potential risks, even as they compete for technological leadership.

AI is a major theme at this year’s United Nations General Assembly, where Trump is scheduled to speak on Tuesday.

Ahead of the week-long meetings and speeches in New York, leaders from more than 20 countries called for binding safety measures for advanced artificial intelligence, warning that the technology could develop faster than efforts to control its risks.

China and the United States were not among the signatories to the call.

Trump has opposed what he considers excessive AI safety measures, saying on Saturday that he would not allow the “destruction” of the AI industry over what he described as unjustified fears.

Xi, in July, said AI development should not be dominated by a single country and called for greater international cooperation.

Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday that talks with Chinese officials on trade and artificial intelligence had been “very successful”.

“We just had a very successful engagement with the Chinese,” Bessent told reporters after an all-day meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng.

The discussions, which also involved top US trade official Jamieson Greer, lasted about eight hours and laid the groundwork for possible agreements on trade, AI and other issues ahead of the leaders’ summit.