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On China and AI, US sends mixed message about talks to ban the technology from nuclear use
- While State Department’s No 2 touts dialogue, a National Security Council official points to Beijing’s disagreement with long-stated policy
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Igor Patrickin Washington
Senior Biden administration officials on Monday conveyed a mixed message about negotiations with Beijing to ban the use of artificial intelligence in both American and Chinese nuclear arsenals.
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The US had sought “a strategic dialogue with China for years on nuclear matters”, according to US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, who depicted Beijing as reluctant to proceed with negotiations to limit its arsenal.
That said, China “may be prepared to talk about other issues around nuclear issues”, added Campbell in remarks at a Council on Foreign Relations event in Washington.
The two sides in May convened in Geneva, Switzerland, to hold initial talks on the use of AI in managing and deploying nuclear weapons.
“I think both nations understand, on some level, some of the challenges that AI presents to military command and control, particularly in the nuclear arena,” the No 2 American diplomat said.
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