Trump and Xi Discuss Artificial Intelligence Control Amidst US-China Supremacy Race

During recent high-level talks, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping engaged in discussions concerning the governance of Artificial Intelligence. Both leaders underscored the imperative for human oversight of AI, even as their respective nations are locked in an aggressive race to achieve technological supremacy in the field.

The US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan stated that the conversations explicitly covered the need to ensure human control over AI systems, particularly those capable of autonomous functions. This exchange follows a period of increasing rhetoric from Washington regarding Beijing's rapid advancements in AI, often framed as a national security issue.

China's ambitions to lead the world in AI by 2030 have been clearly articulated, aligning with its broader strategy for technological self-reliance and global influence. The US, meanwhile, views its own investments in AI as critical to maintaining its economic and military advantage, underpinning the petrodollar system and its wider geopolitical leverage. The dialogue between Trump and Xi, therefore, can be understood not as a cooperative venture, but as a strategic acknowledgement of the potential for AI to reshape global power dynamics, with each side manoeuvring to secure its own interests.