China, US to open AI ‘communication channel’ after summit, White House says

White House says the two countries agreed to open a ‘bilateral communication channel’ for artificial intelligence incidents.

The United States and China have agreed to establish a “communication channel” for artificial intelligence (AI) incidents, the White House said after a summit in Washington, DC.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed matters ranging from AI and trade to the stalled war in Iran during a three-day state visit, and confirmed that they would meet for a third and fourth time this year at international summits in China and the US.

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The White House said on Friday that the nations agreed to establish a “bilateral communication channel” for AI incidents. There was no immediate comment from Beijing on the White House statement.

The announcement came after a summit short on breakthroughs that was dominated by ceremony, according to Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher, reporting from the White House.

“There was a lot of ceremony and a lot of pomp. In fact, there was a lot more pomp than progress,” Fisher said. The two sides agreed to extend a trade truce due to expire in November, pushing the deadline to January “to give both sides the chance to talk”.

Trump said the visit had strengthened his personal rapport with Xi, which he said would benefit the US in the long run.

“We’ve had a tremendous visit from two spectacular people, and we really enjoyed it, and I think we’ve made tremendous strides,” Trump said. “We’ve made great strides, very positive for both countries.”

Fisher reported that Xi used the summit to press specific aims, seeking assurance that China would be “treated more fairly” in future dealings and laying out guidelines he wants to shape upcoming talks between the two countries.