UNGA81: UN chief asks AI superpowers to open dialogue on technology’s future

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UN chief Antonio Guterres called on AI superpowers to start a dialogue on the fast-moving future of technology akin to US-Soviet engagement at the height of the Cold War.

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“Governments with the greatest AI capabilities have the greatest responsibilities to humanity, to establish channels for dialogue, transparency, trust and cooperation,” Guterres said.

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“At a pivotal moment during the Cold War, strategic rivals came to recognise the need to manage shared existential risks.”

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China and the US are currently discussing creating a communication channel for AI concerns in anticipation of a Washington summit meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.

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The talks come as both powers confront rising fears that increasingly capable artificial intelligence systems could wipe out humanity, offering a rare incentive for cooperation despite an intensifying race for technological supremacy.

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AI is a major theme at this year’s UN General Assembly, where Trump will be speaking on Tuesday.

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Ahead of the week of meetings and speeches in New York, leaders of more than 20 countries urged binding safety measures for advanced artificial intelligence, warning that the technology’s development could outpace the ability to control it.

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China and the United States were not signatories.

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Trump has come out strongly against AI safety measures, vowing on Saturday not to allow the “destruction” of the AI industry over what he calls unjustified fears.

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China’s President Xi Jinping in July said AI should not be dominated by a single country and urged international cooperation on its development.

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On Monday, PUNCH Online reported that the US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent touted a “very successful” meeting on trade and artificial intelligence with Chinese officials Sunday, adding that both sides discussed greater communication on AI threats.n

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“We just had a very successful engagement with the Chinese,” Bessent told reporters after the all-day meeting with Vice Premier He Lifeng.

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The discussions, which also included top US trade official Jamieson Greer, lasted around eight hours and set the stage for possible agreements on trade, AI and other issues before a summit of the countries’ top leaders.

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AFP

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