Resilient use of artificial intelligence: a high-profile meeting between the US and China, and a key topic for the next few months
There will be a lot of topics to discuss when US president Joe Biden and Chinese president Xi Jinping meet in San Francisco this week.
“We have a collective interest in reducing the potential risks from the deployment of unreliable AI applications” because of risks of unintended escalation, says a senior State Department official familiar with recent efforts to broach the issue and who spoke on condition of anonymity. We hope to discuss this issue further with China.
The declaration “advances international norms on responsible military use of AI and autonomy, provides a basis for building common understanding, and creates a community for all states to exchange best practices,” says Sasha Baker, acting under secretary of defense for policy.
“AI manufacturers [need] to take accountability for the security outcomes—that is the whole idea of shifting the burden onto those companies that can most bear it,” Easterly says. “Those are the ones that are building and designing these technologies, and it’s about the importance of embracing radical transparency. Ensuring we know what’s in the software so we can make sure it’s protected.