"humans, not AI" should control nuclear weapons

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Brookings Institution·brookings.edu/articles/a-roadmap-for-a-us-china-ai-dialogue/

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Published January 2024 by Brookings, this is a policy-oriented commentary relevant to international AI governance coordination, particularly the US-China relationship as a critical axis for managing global AI risks.

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Importance: 52/100policy briefanalysis

Summary

This Brookings Institution article proposes a strategic framework for the US-China bilateral AI consultation channel established at the November 2023 Biden-Xi summit. The authors argue that success requires focused agreement on concrete, tractable objectives rather than broad grievance-airing, given the two countries' differing AI governance philosophies. Key recommended areas include nuclear weapons human control, AI incident information sharing, and avoiding AI in autonomous lethal systems.

Key Points

•The Biden-Xi November 2023 summit established a new bilateral AI consultation channel, but its success depends on scoping focused, achievable objectives.
•US and China share some AI risk concerns but have fundamentally different governance philosophies, making selective cooperation on specific issues essential.
•Authors recommend prioritizing human control over nuclear weapons decisions as a tractable early cooperation target.
•Information sharing on AI incidents and near-misses is identified as a concrete, lower-controversy area for bilateral progress.
•Without clear goals, the dialogue risks becoming a ritual forum rather than producing meaningful AI safety or governance outcomes.

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#### A roadmap for a US-China AI dialogue

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# A roadmap for a US-China AI dialogue

##### [Graham Webster](https://www.brookings.edu/articles/a-roadmap-for-a-us-china-ai-dialogue/) and        GW      Graham WebsterResearch Scholar \- Stanford University Program on Geopolitics, Technology, and Governance,Editor-in-Chief \- DigiChina     [Ryan Hass](https://www.brookings.edu/people/ryan-hass/)   [![Ryan Hass, Fellow, Foreign Policy, John L. Thornton China Center, Center for East Asia Policy Studies, The Brookings Institution](https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/fp_20170712_ryan_hass.jpg?quality=75&w=250)](https://www.brookings.edu/people/ryan-hass/)  [Ryan Hass](https://www.brookings.edu/people/ryan-hass/)Director \- [John L. Thornton China Center](https://www.brookings.edu/centers/john-l-thornton-china-center/),Senior Fellow \- [Foreign Policy](https://www.brookings.edu/programs/foreign-policy/), [Center for Asia Policy Studies](https://www.brookings.edu/centers/center-for-asia-policy-studies/), [John L. Thornton China Center](https://www.brookings.edu/centers/john-l-thornton-china-center/),Chen-Fu and Cecilia Yen Koo Chair in Taiwan Studies

January 10, 2024

![Blue illuminated AI processor on the motherboard.](https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-11-09T000000Z_727660026_MT1IMGOST0009ZJCEZ_RTRMADP_3_IMAGO-IMAGES.jpg?quality=75&w=1500)

Blue illuminated AI processor on a motherboard. (IMAGO/Westlight via Reuters Connect)


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When President Joe Biden and General Secretary Xi Jinping [met in California](https://www.brookings.edu/articles/will-positive-momentum-from-the-biden-xi-meeting-last/) in November 2023, their governments announced a new bilateral channel for consultation on artificial intelligence (AI)

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Resource ID: 25ca111eea083021 | Stable ID: MmUzZjQzYm