US, China plot cold war-style 'RED PHONE' for AI emergencies

TO BOTH SIDES. >> Jacqui: BUSINESSES IN CHINA. ARE WORKING TO MAKE A.I. ADVANCES. STEVE HARRIGAN REPORTS LIVE IN. BEIJING AS THE NATION AWAITS THE. HIGH STAKES SUMMIT. >> PREPS ARE UNDERWAY ACROSS THE. WORLD FOR THIS MAJOR SUMMIT. THURSDAY AND RIGHT HERE IN. BEIJING THERE IS TALK ABOUT THIS. NEW POTENTIAL A.I. HOTLINE. A HOTLINE BETWEEN THE U.S. AND.

CHINA AND IT WOULD GO INTO. EFFECT WHEN THERE WAS A NATIONAL. SECURITY THREAT FROM A.I. THE TREASURY SECRETARY. >> WELL, THE NOTIFICATION FOR. WHETHER THERE ARE INCIDENTS, WHETHER THERE HAS BEEN SOMETHING. THAT RISES UP TO A NATIONAL. SECURITY LEVEL FROM A.I. BECAUSE WE THINK THAT JUST LIKE. WITH ANY CROSS-BORDER ACTIVITY,

THAT MOVING FROM OPAQUE TO MORE. TRANSPARENCY BETWEEN THE NUMBER. ONE AND NUMBER TWO A.I. POWERS. IN THE WORLD IS VERY IMPORTANT. >> WHEN IT COMES TO A.I. THIS. COULD BE A REAL BALANCING ACT. BETWEEN THE U.S. AND CHINA. ON ONE HAND THE TWO SUPER POWERS. HOPE TO WORK TOGETHER ON A.I. WHEN IT COMES TO SAFETY AND ITS. DEVELOPMENT. ON THE OTHER HAND THE TWO ARE. COMPETING FOR SUPREMACY IN A.I. CHINESE OFFICIALS IN BEIJING SAY. THIS SUMMIT COULD PROVE TO BE. HISTORIC.

>> THE RECIPROCAL VISITS BY. HEADS OF STATES OF CHINA AND. OUNCE IN HALF OF YEAR ARE OF. MILESTONE SIGNIFICANCE. >> ONE THING THAT DOESN'T EXIST. HERE IN CHINA IS ANY DEBATE. ABOUT SLOWING DOWN THE PROGRESS. OF A.I. THIS GOVERNMENT SAYS IT INTENDS. TO SPEND $500 BILLION OVER THE. NEXT SEVERAL YEARS BUILDING UP. DATA CENTERS, JACKUI. >> Jacqui: A LOT TO WATCH THERE. >> Bill: MORE ON THIS WITH.

JAMISON GREER REIVE IN NEW YORK. NICE TO SEE YOU IN PERSON. YOU AND THE TREASURY SECRETARY. AND CHINESE DELEGATION SPENT A. LOT OF TIME ON SUNDAY TOGETHER. AND SEE WHAT GETS DONE THIS. WEEK. SECRETARY BESSENT SAID THERE WAS. AN AGREEMENT ON U.S./CHINA A.I. DIALOGUE. WHAT IS THAT ABOUT? >> I LIKE TO THINK OF IT ALMOST. AS A HOTLINE, RIGHT? YOU THINK ABOUT THE RED PHONE. DURING THE COLD WAR TO MAKE SURE. IF THERE ARE INCIDENTS OR ISSUES. THAT COME UP THERE CAN BE QUICK. DIALOGUE. NOT JUST THAT.

A BROADER OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE. WITH CHINESE ON THIS NEW. TECHNOLOGY THAT WILL CHANGE OUR. ECONOMY, CHANGE OUR WORLD, AND. THE TWO LARGEST POWERS HAVE TO. HAVE A CONVERSATION. >> Bill: PRACTICALLY SPEAKING IF. SOMETHING WENT WRONG WE WOULD. HAVE TO TELL THEM AND THEY WOULD. HAVE TO TELL US. >> THE BOUNDS OF WHAT WE. SHOULDN'T TELL AND TELL EACH. OTHER. NATIONAL SECURITY BOUNDS. BUT THERE SHOULD BE A BASELINE. UNDERSTANDING THAT EACH SIDE IF. THERE IS AN EMERGENCY OR CRISIS. WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE A. HOTLINE TO TELL EACH OTHER.

>> Bill: HAS CHINA AGREED? >> WE HAVE AGREED TO HAVE A. DIALOGUE. PART OF THE DIALOGUE WHAT NEEDS. TO HAPPEN NOW IS SECRETARY. BESSENT AND OTHERS ON THE TEAM. HAVE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT ARE THE. ACTUAL WORKING PROCEDURES, THE. TERMS OF REFERENCE, HOW DO WE. OPERATE TOGETHER? HOW TO PROTECT AMERICAN NATIONAL. SECURITY IN HOW MUCH INFORMATION. DO YOU SHARE AND HOW TO APPROACH. IT? >> Bill: MY UNDERSTANDING NOW. AND GOING INTO THE FUTURE THE. A.I. COMPANIES ARE. SELF-REPORTING THESE INCNCIDENT.

CORRECT? >> THEY ARE, RIGHT. OTHER FOLKS OUT THERE. INDEPENDENT VERIFYERS AND FOLKS. TRYING TO FIND OUT WHERE A.I. COULD GO WRONG OR COULD GO. RIGHT. YOU HAVE THIRD PARTIES. BUT HELPFUL FOR THE GOVERNMENT. TO HAVE AN ABILITY TO LOOK AT. THIS AND COMMUNICATE WITH OTHER. GOVERNMENTS. >> Bill: WE RELY ON THEM TO TELL. US WHAT'S GOING WRONG. WOULDN'T IT BE MORE CREDIBLE IF. YOU HAD INDEPENDENT EYES, A TECH. REPORTER FROM "THE NEW YORK. TIMES" OR FOX NEWS? >> REMEMBER, WE'RE AT THE.

THRESHOLD OF A NEW TECHNOLOGY. NEVER HAD IT BEFORE. LEARNING HOW TO APPROACH IT. WE DON'T WANT TO CREATE A. SITUATION WHERE WE CUT OURSELVES. OFF FROM THE BENEFITS OF THE. TECHNOLOGY OR CEDE LEADERSHIP TO. CHINA OR OTHERS. AT THE SAME TIME WE WANT TO MAKE. SURE THE GOVERNMENT IS TAKING. SERIOUSLY ITS NATIONAL SECURITY. OBLIGATIONS TO THE AMERICAN. PEOPLE. >> Bill: WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT. LOSING THE EDGE. THE CHINESE HAVE THEIR CONCERNS. ALSO. >> WE'RE AHEAD.

>> Bill: AGREED. WHAT IS THE CHANCE THE ACTUALLY. COMES TOGETHER IN SOME SORT OF. AGREEMENT? >> FOR SURE WE HAVE THE DIALOGUE. SET UP. THAT'S AGREED. THE QUESTION BECOMES HOW MUCH DO. WE COOPERATE WITHIN THE. DIALOGUE? WHERE CAN WE ACTUALLY COOPERATE? ARE THERE STANDARDS OR IDEAS. THAT CAN BE HELD IN COMMON? IF WE'RE AT THE FOREFRONT OF. ESTABLISHING THESE STANDARDS AND. RULES, THAT'S HOW WE WANT IT TO. BE. IDEALLY WE'RE A DEREGULATORY. ADMINISTRATION. WE DON'T WANT TO PUT TOO MANY. RESTRICTIONS.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THE. AMERICAN NATIONAL SECURITY IS. PRESERVED. >> Bill: ON THURSDAY THEY SEE. EACH OTHER FOR THE FIRST TIME. MAYBE WEDNESDAY NIGHT, THURSDAY. FOR SURE. I WAS IN BEIJING IN MAY. IT SEEMED VERY LITTLE IS. PRODUCED FROM THAT SUMMIT OTHER. THAN A RELATIONSHIP AND. HANDSHAKE. CAN WE EXPECT MORE FROM THIS. WEEK? >> FIRST OF ALL THE RELATIONSHIP. IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. RELATIONSHIPS DIDN'T EXIST IN. THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION. HAPPY TO HAVE PRESIDENT TRUMP. AND PRESIDENT XI HAVE A GOOD. RELATIONSHIP. AT THE WORKING LEVEL WE'RE.

IMPLEMENTING IT. WHAT YOU'LL SEE THIS WEEK IS THE. ACTUAL ANNOUNCEMENT AND. ESTABLISHMENT OF SOMETHING. CALLED THE BOARD OF TRADE THAT. WE TALKED ABOUT IN MAY IN. BEIJING. WE HAVE WORKING PROCEDURES SET. UP AND TERMS OF REFERENCE. WE ARE GOING THROUGH AND PICKING. A RELATIVELY SMALL SUBSET OF. GOODS WHERE AMERICA AND CHINA. AGREE WE SHOULD BE TRADING. WE HAVE VAST TARIFFS ON CHINA. WE HAVE FOR MANY YEARS AND. CONTINUE IN YEARS TO COME. GOING FORWARD IS THERE A SMALL. SUBSET OF GOODS THAT WE CAN JUST. KEEP ASIDE FROM ANY TRADE.

DISPUTES? THINGS THAT WE AREN'T CONCERNED. ABOUT, RIGHT? LOW TECH CONSUMER GOODS, ETC. THINGS WE WANT TO SEND TO THEM. AG, MEDICAL DEVICES. A WORLD WHERE WE HAVE RELATIVELY. SMALL BALANCED TRADE WITH CHINA. AND WILL HAVE DISPUTES ON THE. REST. >> Bill: BUT IN MAY WE WERE TOLD. THAT CHINA AGREED TO BUY. HUNDREDS OF BOEING AIRPLANES, HASN'T HAPPENED. IN MAY WE WERE TOLD THEY WERE. GOING TO BUY A LOT OF U.S. FARM. PRODUCTS. HASN'T HAPPENED. WHERE DO THOSE TWO ISSUES STAND? >> I'M NOT SURE HOW YOU HAVE.

BEEN BRIEFED. WITH THE SOYBEANS THEY ARE DOING. WHAT THEY SAID THEY WOULD DO. RECENTLY PASSED THE HALFWAY MARK. ON SOYBEAN COMMITMENT. THIS IS THE BUYING TIME. ADDITIONAL COMMITMENT ON. AGRICULTURAL GOODS, $4 BILLION. INTO THAT. THEY'RE BUYING. THIS IS THE BUYING AND HARVEST. TIME. WE HAVE THINGS ABOUT AIR EARTH, PERENNIAL ISSUE. THEY ARE SENDING IT. WE WOULD LIKE IT TO BE MORE. REGULAR AND SMOOTH AND HIGHER. QUANTITY. THAT'S WHY WE TEND TO GO IN. PERIODS OF MONTHS SO WE CAN HAVE.

COMPLIANCE. WE KNOW THAT SOME OF THE CHINESE. COMPLY AND SOMETIMES THEY DON'T. WE NEED TO SEE BETTER. COMPLIANCE.. >> Bill: HAVE THEY BOUGHT A JET. ACCORDING TO THE DEAL? >> WE TALKED TO THEM YESTERDAY. THEY ARE ABOUT 140 THAT ARE IN. GOOD STATE, ADDITIONAL 10 THAT. THEY ARE WRITING DOWN THE ORDERS. AND 28 LEFT AFTER THAT. THERE WERE 200 COMMITTED AND. THEY ARE THROUGH -- THEY HAVE. PAPERWORK ON 150. >> Bill: ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH. WHAT WAS AGREED TO IN MAY AT. THIS POINT THEN?

THAT'S THE QUESTION. >> WITH RESPECT TO BOEING THEY. ARE MAKING PROGRESS. WITH RESPECT TO AG THEY ARE. MAKING PROGRESS. RARE EARTH WE WANT THEM TO BE. BETTER. >> Bill: A LOT OF FARMERS IN. IOWA WANT HELP AND CLEAR FROM. THE POLLING. WE HAVE GOTTEN COMING UP ON THE. MID-TERMS. IS THE IRAN WAR MAKING THIS. RELATIONSHIP MORE COMPLICATED? >> SO IT DOES ADD A LAYER OF. COMPLEXITY. THE CHINESE HAVE HEARD THE. PRESIDENT AND HEARD SECRETARY. BESSENT ON IRAN. AND WE HAVE BEEN VERY CLEAR THAT. THEY CAN'T CONTRIBUTE MATERIALLY.

TO IRAN'S BELLIGERENCE. WE HAVE ASKED THEM TO MODERATE. OIL SHIPMENTS. THEY BUY OIL FROM IRAN. A LOT OF THAT OIL IS NOT GETTING. OUT. WHETHER THEY WANT IT OR NOT IT. IS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CHINESE HAVE STEERED CLEAR. OF THE IRAN SITUATION. >> Bill: WHAT DOES A GOOD. OUTCOME OF A SUMMIT AT THE WHITE. HOUSE LOOK LIKE COME FRIDAY? >> THE FIRST THING IS WE. MAINTAIN THAT STABLE. RELATIONSHIP. THERE IS NOT SOME GIANT GRAND.

BARGAIN TO BE HAD. OUR ECONOMIES ARE TOO DIFFERENT. AND POLITICAL SYSTEMS ARE TOO. DIFFERENT. WE WANT CONTINUED STABILITY. SOMETHING WE AGREE WITH ON THE. CHINESE. THE A.I. DIALOGUE TO START IN. EARNEST AND THE BOARD OF TRADE. THAT WE CAN ANNOUNCE WORKING. PROCEDURES AND A SET OF GOODS WE. THINK IF THERE ARE FUTURE TRADE. MEASURES. WE LET TRADE GO ON AS NORMAL. IT WILL BRING STABILITY IN T.