Ex-US official urges AI arms control lessons from Cold War

Former US Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin has called for the United States and China to cooperate on managing the risks posed by artificial intelligence, drawing a parallel to the nuclear arms control efforts between the US and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Rubin, who served from 1995 to 1999, cited the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) as an example of superpowers finding common ground.

Security experts have also put forward proposals for nuclear-style safeguards for AI, including establishing red lines around nuclear systems and creating a hotline for incidents involving autonomous AI. These recommendations, developed through a US-China dialogue convened by Brookings Institution and Tsinghua University, aim to address concerns about increasingly powerful and autonomous AI systems. Authors Melanie Sisson and Tianjiao Jiang highlighted the need for human control over AI-enabled cyberattacks and critical infrastructure, and a shared definition of "meaningful human control."

China's State Security Minister Chen Yixin recently stated that AI is fundamentally transforming military struggle. The experts' proposals come ahead of planned government-level AI talks and an anticipated meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.