Trump and Xi hold White House talks, but AI cooperation prospects remain limited

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump held talks on Wednesday in the Oval Office at the White House. Trump personally showed his visiting counterpart several of his favorite White House features, including the Marine One helicopter, a newly built granite landing pad for it, and the large adjacent construction site where a ballroom is planned.

The two leaders had a packed schedule that culminated in a state dinner, attended by chief executives of leading artificial intelligence companies, including OpenAI's Sam Altman and Elon Musk.

Diverging views on AI

Earlier in the day, Xi told Trump that artificial intelligence must remain "under human control." The remark came as AI industry figures have repeatedly warned in recent weeks that the technology is advancing too quickly.

At the same time, the United States and China remain locked in a race to develop AI capabilities. Trump has dismissed calls for tighter controls on the technology, describing concerns about AI risks as a "hoax."

Despite the high-profile setting, including a state dinner bringing together top AI executives, the meeting did not appear to produce any concrete agreement or shared position on artificial intelligence oversight between the two countries.