China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded to a call from Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei for the U.S. to impose restrictions on China’s artificial intelligence capabilities. Amodei’s remarks, made in a recent essay, advocate for a global slowdown in AI development, citing concerns over a potential Chinese lead in the field.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are set to discuss AI governance, among other topics, during a meeting scheduled for September 24. Amodei warned that a dominant Chinese position in AI could pose significant risks to the U.S. and the world, urging continued restrictions on the sale of advanced AI chips and related technology to China to maintain U.S. superiority in AI.
In response, the Chinese Foreign Ministry emphasized the need for collaborative efforts in AI development. Spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated, “Fearmongering, confrontation and vicious competition will only disrupt the process of global AI governance which serves no one’s interest.”
Trump and Xi Could Discuss AI Governance at Summit
During the upcoming summit, discussions will likely include the governance of AI technologies. Chinese companies have made significant advancements in AI, often providing models that are more cost-effective than those from U.S. firms, while still being comparably capable.
President Xi has called for the establishment of a global AI governance framework, particularly among nations in the Global South, positioning China as a leader in fostering an open-source AI community. Additionally, the head of China’s Ministry of State Security has advocated for the rapid development of systems to manage AI security risks.
Beijing Accuses U.S. of Trying to Hold It Back
In an editorial, China’s state-run Global Times criticized Amodei’s essay as a thinly veiled attempt to contain China, describing it as a “Cold War playbook” for the AI sector. This response follows a joint cybersecurity advisory from U.S. intelligence agencies, which claimed that Chinese developers have engaged in aggressive tactics to extract capabilities from advanced AI models like Anthropic’s Claude and OpenAI’s GPT.
The Chinese Commerce Ministry dismissed these allegations as unfounded, asserting that the practice of “distillation” is common among AI companies globally. Both nations are wary of each other establishing technological dominance, with experts noting the complexities of cooperation in AI safety amidst ongoing restrictions.
For further details, see the full report by SecurityWeek.
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