As AI safety fears mount, can a US-China hotline prevent a global crisis?

Washington and Beijing are seeking new ways to manage risks as competition intensifies, though analysts warn establishing effective safeguards may prove difficult

The United States and China’s agreement to establish an official AI dialogue, including a proposed threat-notification system, marks a pragmatic step towards crisis prevention in their tech war, even as deep-seated divisions over chip access, model distillation and market dominance threaten to limit its impact, analysts said.

Announced following high-level talks in New York on Sunday between US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Vice-Premier He Lifeng, American officials said the new operational channel built on earlier discussions held in Beijing.

While Bessent described the talks on AI and trade as “successful”, analysts cautioned that establishing a communication framework alone would do little to bridge the structural policy and commercial divides separating the two AI superpowers.