the china-u.s. track ii dialogue on artificial intelligence and international security project，initiated in october 2019 by the center for international security and strategy at tsinghua university（ciss）and the brookings institution focuses on emerging issues in ai security governance. as of february 2024, the project has conducted nine rounds of dialogues, yielding significant consensus and progress:
i. identifying ai governance challenges. experts from both sides concur that it’s imperative for the international community to closely monitor potential security risks associated with ai development and application. these risks include, but are not limited to: the unpredictability of ai technologies due to rapid iterations and self-learning capabilities, potentially exceeding human cognitive limits and posing security risks; inherent biases and discrimination within ai algorithms, challenging ethical norms; and the risk of ai technologies being misappropriated by non-state actors such as hackers and terrorists, posing a threat to public security.
ii. standardizing ai terminology. the absence of a unified ai terminology system internationally hampers deep multilateral governance exchanges. to address this, experts have agreed to form a working group on ai terminology, aiming to compile a comprehensive ai terms and concepts manual. this endeavor will be based on terms used in official and authoritative documents from both sides, fostering common understanding while acknowledging differences. as of february 2023, ciss and brookings experts have proposed 64 and 42 terms respectively, with 25 terms achieving joint interpretation. at the 9th round of the dialogue in munich on february 2024, ciss and brookings experts discussed the first six terms: weapons systems, unmanned systems, autonomy and automation, autonomous weapons systems, lethality, and human-machine interaction.
iii. scenario analysis in military ai. given the global concern over military ai risks, the expert groups have agreed to establish a working group on ai scenarios. this group will focus on simulating typical military ai applications to develop rules for the use of ai weapons systems, pinpoint risk factors, and establish crisis control and emergency response mechanisms. furthermore, this collaboration aims to create foundational principles for scenario design and compile these insights into a comprehensive publication.
iv. pathways for ai security governance. given the dual-use nature of ai technology, experts believe that as leading ai nations, china and the u.s. should adopt a cautious approach to technological development and collaborate to harness ai’s benefits. although the governance approaches differ between the two countries, these dialogues serve as platforms for exchanging experiences and shaping a safer global future.
chinese president xi jinping and u.s. president joe biden agreed to establish china-u.s. government talks on artificial intelligence during a summit at filoli estate. this initiative not only bolsters the stability of bilateral relations but also plays a strategic role in advancing global ai governance.
the project is committed to continuing its exploration of current and emerging ai topics, utilizing the flexibility and expertise of think tank dialogues to foster consensus, bridge differences, in order to promote china-u.s. communication and exchanges in ai governance and to make contribution to a safer future.
ciss team on artificial intelligence and international security project
xiao qian，deputy director, center for international security and strategy, tsinghua university
chen qi，deputy director, center for international security and strategy, tsinghua university
sun chenghao，fellow, center for international security and strategy, tsinghua university
dong ting，fellow, center for international security and strategy, tsinghua university
xu weidi，senior colonel (ret.), former research fellow, institute for strategic studies, national defense university
li qiang，associate professor, director of military law institute, china university of political science and law
li ruishen，nonresident fellow, center for international security and strategy, tsinghua university, vice president of beijing normal university internet development research institute
liu chong，director, institute of international security, china institutes of contemporary international relations
liu wei，professor and director, human-computer interaction and cognitive engineering laboratory, beijing university of posts and telecommunication
lu chuanying，nonresident fellow, center for international security and strategy, tsinghua university; senior fellow and deputy director of institute of public police and innovation, shanghai institutes for international studies
qi haotian，assistant professor and deputy director, center for international security and peace studies, school of international studies, peking university
wu riqiang，professor, department of international relations, tsinghua university
xu yuan，professor of the school of humanities and social sciences, beijing institute of technology
zhang ling，senior colonel (ret.), former associate professor, national security college, national defense university
zhu rongsheng，nonresident fellow, center for international security and strategy, tsinghua university
zheng lefeng，project manager, center for international security and strategy, tsinghua university
zhang ding，research assistant, center for international security and strategy, tsinghua university
and a few important team members who prefer not to be identified.