Trump rolled out the red carpet for the Chinese leader on Thursday as the pair met for the second time this year.
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getty
Xi Jinping has urged Donald Trump to keep artificial intelligence under human control just days after the US president dismissed concerns about the tech as a hoax.
Trump rolled out the red carpet for the Chinese leader on Thursday as the pair met for the second time this year.
While Trump heralded the pair’s “truly great friendship” as he welcomed to Xi to Washington, China’s president was quick to issue a sinister warning about the dangers of AI.
Speaking at the White House for Beijing’s first state visit in over a decade, Xi said: “Both China and the United States are leading nations in artificial intelligence.
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“[We must] ensure that the development of AI is always under human control and serves the well-being of the people.”
It comes just days after Trump previously dismissed concerns about AI safety as a “hoax” despite grim warnings from top industry figures about its potential threat to the future of humanity.
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getty
“The United States totally rejects any attempt to construct a globalist scheme of control for the artificial intelligence being spoken of so much now – hereinafter officially called super intelligence,” Trump told the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.
Read more: Trump rolls out red carpet for President Xi in Washington with military flyover and state dinner
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Mr Trump added: “We will only encourage super intelligence.”
He had also boasted about how the US is leading the way in AI and that it’s ahead of China in the scramble to develop the smartest AI “by a lot”.
Speaking outside the White House today, Trump said he and Xi will “discuss pressing issues concerning security, technology, and Super Intelligence, SI.
“The decisions we make in these areas today can promote peace and prosperity for decades and decades to come. If we focus on our common interests, I’m confident there is much we can achieve.”
He hailed his “truly great friendship” with Xi built on “mutual respect and the vital interests of our people”.
Trump added: But remarkably, this is our first time meeting together here at the White House. And as President Xi has already seen, a lot has changed since he was last here.”
Xi admitted the two countries were different but argued they have “deeply intertwined” interests and can “build up mutual trust”.
“I am ready to work with you to steer the giant ship of China-US relationship on a steady course toward the future.
“We must strengthen communication. Although our two countries have different cultures, through open communication, we can build trust and mutual understanding,” Xi added.
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However, the event was overshadowed by a free speech row as the White House was forced to restore access to previously banned media outlets following a court ruling.
The escalating row came as the Trump administration warned last week that it would ban CNN, Politico and MS NOW from entering.
A federal judge ordered the administration to immediately reinstate access to the three outlets, arguing the ban “likely violated their constitutional due process rights”.
The organisations accused the White House of “repeatedly” violated the judge’s order which lifted his ban on the outlets.
Reporters have since been allowed back in after an emergency court hearing seeking to retore their blocked access.
