US says it raised concerns over AI ‘misuse’ with China

THE United States said on Wednesday it raised concerns with China about its “misuse” of artificial intelligence but voiced hope to keep open communication after the powers’ first dialogue on the fast-growing technology.

Officials from the two sides held “candid and constructive” talks on Tuesday in Geneva including on the benefits of AI, National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said.

“The United States underscored the importance of ensuring AI systems are safe, secure and trustworthy in order to realise these benefits of AI, and of continuing to build global consensus on that basis,” she said in a statement.

“The United States also raised concerns over the misuse of AI, including by the PRC,” she said, referring to the People’s Republic of China.

But she said the United States “affirmed the need to maintain open lines of communication on AI risk and safety as an important part of responsibly managing competition” between the world’s two largest economies.

The talks, conceived during a summit between Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping in California in November, were the latest effort by the two powers to improve dialogue to reduce risks after years of soaring tension.

The diplomacy has not stopped the Biden administration from piling pressure, including with the election-year announcement Tuesday that the United States was ramping up tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.

The United States and other Western nations have been alarmed by China’s rapid advances on artificial intelligence including its prowess in deepfakes, which experts fear could be used on social media to manipulate public debate.

In response to rising alarm over seemingly real footage, blockbuster video-sharing site TikTok last week said it would begin labeling AI-generated content from several platforms.

TikTok has come under intense US pressure, with Biden signing a law that would ban the app unless it divests from its Chinese owners. AFP