Distrust Between China and America Make AI Agreement Unlikely

June 11, 2024

The US has called on China to discuss the military uses of artificial intelligence (AI); Admiral Rob Bauer, chairman of NATO’s military committee, expressed concern about the unrestricted use of new technologies on the battlefield and the need for regulation. Experts say that lack of bilateral trust and concerns about revealing capabilities are major barriers to an agreement. Senior Colonel Zhu Qichao accused the US of being “two-faced” in its approach, saying it only wants to learn more about China’s AI capabilities. Such international regulatory regimes necessarily require a high level of trust, especially when it is unclear how compliance would be assessed in the context of AI.