U.S. and China Establish AI Crisis Hotline Ahead of Summit

During an eight-hour session at JPMorgan Chase’s New York headquarters, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng led discussions to create a formal crisis channel for artificial intelligence, known as the U.S.-China AI Dialogue.

This initiative aims to establish operational guardrails around advanced technology to prevent national security incidents from escalating. The negotiators focused on developing an emergency notification mechanism similar to a Cold War hotline, requiring both nations to inform each other of severe AI failures or security threats.

Following the talks, Bessent confirmed that Washington proposed a direct notification pathway for incidents that meet national security thresholds. While the U.S. emphasizes extreme risks and unexpected autonomous behaviors, China prioritizes infrastructure stability and cyber defense.

Both countries acknowledge that unmanaged autonomous failures pose mutual geopolitical risks, necessitating direct communication.