The United States has proposed a new system that would allow Washington and Beijing to alert each other when an artificial intelligence incident becomes serious enough to pose a national security threat, opening a potential new line of communication between the world’s two largest AI powers.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent disclosed the proposal following talks Sunday in New York with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. The two countries discussed establishing a broader U.S.-China AI dialogue, including a notification mechanism for incidents involving what Bessent described as common goals and common threats.
The proposal would represent an unusual area of cooperation between two countries increasingly competing over advanced AI models, semiconductors and computing infrastructure. Details remain limited, including what would qualify as a reportable AI incident, how quickly either government would be expected to disclose one and what information would be shared.
The talks come amid growing concern in Washington about the national security implications of increasingly capable AI systems. U.S. officials and lawmakers have been examining risks ranging from cyberattacks and biological misuse to threats involving critical infrastructure and highly autonomous AI systems. At the same time, the United States has imposed restrictions on China’s access to some advanced AI chips and semiconductor technology.
The proposed alert system would not eliminate that competition. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said export controls involving sophisticated AI chips and semiconductor manufacturing equipment were not part of the discussions surrounding the notification mechanism.
China has not publicly committed to the proposal. Chinese state media acknowledged that officials discussed artificial intelligence during the New York meetings but did not provide details about the proposed alert system. The issue could now move to a higher level when President Trump meets Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House later this week.
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The proposal marks an important shift in the U.S.-China AI relationship. Washington and Beijing are competing aggressively to build increasingly powerful artificial intelligence, but an incident-alert system would acknowledge that some AI risks could cross national borders regardless of which country develops the technology. Even a limited communication channel could become significant if either nation encounters an AI event serious enough to threaten critical infrastructure, cybersecurity or national security.
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