US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed on Saturday that decisions about the use of nuclear weapons should be made by humans, not AI. The White House has given this information.
Emphasis on human control in the use of nuclear weapons
The White House said in a statement: “Both leaders emphasized the need to maintain human control over the decision to use nuclear weapons.” Both leaders also emphasized the need to carefully consider potential risks and develop AI technology in the military sector responsibly.
It is unclear whether this statement will lead to further conversations or actions on the issue. But this is the first such step in the discussion between the two countries on two issues, including nuclear weapons and AI.
Washington has been pressuring Beijing for months to break its long resistance to nuclear weapons talks. The two countries resumed official-level talks on nuclear weapons in November, but these talks have since stalled.
The ‘last’ meeting of Biden and Jinping
US President Joe Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping for the last time on Saturday, but his goal of reducing tensions before Donald Trump’s inauguration became challenging due to new disputes over cybercrime, the trade, Taiwan and Russia.
The White House said Biden and Xi held talks for the first time in seven months, which took place in Lima, Peru, during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference. This meeting was scheduled for four in the afternoon, US time.
