Promising Topics for U.S.-China Dialogues on AI Risks and Governance

TL;DR

This paper systematically analyzes U.S. and China AI policy documents to identify common ground and opportunities for bilateral cooperation in responsible AI governance amidst geopolitical tensions.

Contribution

It introduces an adapted AGORA framework to analyze policy documents in original languages, revealing areas of convergence in AI risk perception and governance approaches.

Findings

Overlap in transparency and reliability concerns

Agreement on inclusive multi-stakeholder engagement

Potential for bilateral AI governance cooperation

Abstract

Cooperation between the United States and China, the world's leading artificial intelligence (AI) powers, is crucial for effective global AI governance and responsible AI development. Although geopolitical tensions have emphasized areas of conflict, in this work, we identify potential common ground for productive dialogue by conducting a systematic analysis of more than 40 primary AI policy and corporate governance documents from both nations. Specifically, using an adapted version of the AI Governance and Regulatory Archive (AGORA) - a comprehensive repository of global AI governance documents - we analyze these materials in their original languages to identify areas of convergence in (1) sociotechnical risk perception and (2) governance approaches. We find strong and moderate overlap in several areas such as on concerns about algorithmic transparency, system reliability, agreement on the importance of inclusive multi-stakeholder engagement, and AI's role in enhancing safety. These findings suggest that despite strategic competition, there exist concrete opportunities for bilateral U.S.-China cooperation in the development of responsible AI. Thus, we present recommendations for furthering diplomatic dialogues that can facilitate such cooperation. Our analysis contributes to understanding how different international governance frameworks might be harmonized to promote global responsible AI development.