The decision on the use of nuclear weapons should be made by people, not artificial intelligence, US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed yesterday, the White House announced.
"The two leaders confirmed the need to maintain human control over decisions about the use of nuclear weapons. They also emphasized the need to carefully consider the potential risk and development of AI technologies in the military sector in a prudent and responsible manner," the statement reads.
An official summary of the meeting by the Chinese government confirmed the US announcement. China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It is not clear whether the meeting will lead to further talks or action on the matter. But it is the first time that the two countries had a discussion about nuclear weapons and artificial intelligence, reports Hina.
Stall in negotiations
For months, Washington has been trying to get Beijing to end its long-standing resistance to nuclear weapons talks.
The two countries briefly resumed official-level talks on nuclear weapons in November, but those talks have since stalled, and a senior US official has publicly expressed frustration with China's response.
Official nuclear arms control talks are not expected anytime soon, despite US concerns about China's rapid buildup of nuclear weapons, although semi-official communications have continued.
On the issue of artificial intelligence, China and the US launched their first official bilateral talks on the issue in May in Geneva, but those talks are not believed to have touched on the issue of nuclear weapons decision-making.
China is rapidly developing nuclear weapons
The US Department of Defense estimated last year that Beijing has 500 operational nuclear warheads and is likely to field more than a thousand by 2030. The US and Russia have deployed 1.770 and 1.710 operational warheads, respectively.
Since 2020, China has also modernized its nuclear program, starting with the production of a new-generation ballistic missile submarine, testing hypersonic warheads and maintaining regular nuclear-armed sea patrols.
Weapons on land, in the air and at sea give China the "nuclear triad" - the hallmark of a major nuclear power.
Biden's cabinet updated the classified nuclear guidance this year, with a White House spokesman previously saying the update was "not in response to any entity, country or threat," despite oft-expressed concern over the nuclear arsenals of China, North Korea and Russia.
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