As AI leaders warn of catastrophe, US and China shun calls to slow down

As artificial intelligence leaders continue to warn of potentially catastrophic risks from the technology, the United States and China appear set to resist calls for a broader slowdown in its development, according to a report by Al Jazeera.

Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are expected to agree to only limited cooperation on AI safety when they meet, the report said, despite mounting concern among researchers and industry figures about the pace at which increasingly powerful AI systems are being developed and deployed.

The expected limited scope of cooperation stands in contrast to warnings from some AI researchers and industry leaders who have called for greater caution, including calls for international coordination to manage risks associated with advanced AI systems. Such warnings have grown more prominent in recent years as AI capabilities have expanded rapidly.

The report did not specify which particular areas of AI safety the two governments might agree to cooperate on, nor did it detail the substance of what a broader slowdown proposal might involve. It remains unclear what specific commitments, if any, will emerge from the meeting between the two leaders.

The dynamic underscores the competitive pressures shaping the global AI landscape, with both Washington and Beijing widely seen as prioritizing continued development of the technology even as safety concerns are voiced by parts of the scientific and technology communities.