Trump Rejects Joint AI Work With China While Keeping Dialogue Open
Donald Trump has ruled out building artificial intelligence together with China.
He spoke on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at a Washington event for the launch of America.gov, an AI-powered website meant to make government services simpler to use. He said AI came up in his meeting last week with Chinese President Xi Jinping, but he opposes joint work on the technology because it would hand U.S. secrets to America's main economic rival, he said. BBC
At the same event, Trump said the U.S. should not place limits on AI that would slow future growth. He said the United States should not give up its lead in AI development to China.
That matches what he said in mid-September. Trump rejected the idea of guardrails, or strict safety rules like speed limits for new technology, for AI and wrote on Truth Social that the U.S.A. has what he called a "STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT" to watch over the technology. NBC News He said separately that he does not want to cede the U.S. edge in AI development to China. PBS
The White House published a fact sheet on Sept. 29 titled "President Donald J. Trump Streamlines Access to Government Services Through America.gov" around the launch.
The rejection of shared development comes while diplomacy continues. The United States and China announced a new AI dialogue after Xi's White House visit last week, with more talks set for November. They also set up a new communications channel to prevent misunderstandings during AI-related incidents. BBC Trump and Xi ended that summit without a major agreement on AI. The Guardian Before the meeting, China's foreign ministry warned that narratives of threat and confrontation hinder AI governance.
A Politico poll published in late September found two in three Americans believe there is at least a moderate risk AI could destroy humanity. The same poll found 44% of Trump supporters would prefer AI development be paused.
In a separate business development, World Liberty Financial is collaborating with a Hong Kong-based venture offering artificial-intelligence models developed by Chinese companies. Reuters
The broader context here is a two-track approach common in technology competition. Washington and Beijing are keeping tools to manage accidents and a schedule for talks, while closing off joint work that would build new capabilities. For people who follow this field, the difference matters. A hotline to avoid mistakes during AI incidents is not the same as shared research, shared computer systems, or shared rules for use. The first lowers the risk of accidents. The second would pass on technical knowledge.
That leaves three questions for the November talks. What subjects will the dialogue cover if joint development is off the table. What counts as an AI-related incident for the new channel. And how the administration balances fast domestic building with public worry about speed and safety, including among its own supporters.
