What does global leadership on AI look like?
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Why are the U.S. and China focusing on AI ahead of their summit?
It's Consider This, where every day we go deep on one big news story. Two of the most powerful people in the world will meet in Washington this
week.
President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping last convened in Beijing in May, where they walked a red carpet, were greeted by children and military bands, but there was little progress on policy. Now, the two are expected to talk about Iran, tariffs, and artificial intelligence.
I think there's no more important topic that the U.S. and China should be talking about than AI.
That's Sarah Buran, a former U.S. diplomat who worked on China issues at the National Security Council. Both countries are facing a sudden reckoning on AI. In America, a growing number of industry insiders are raising concerns that the technology is dangerous. President Trump maintains that beating China on AI is paramount and has tried to tamp down mounting unease, telling attendees at a tech summit a few days ago not to worry.
The robots will not be taken over. The AI will not be taken over the rest of the world. The whole thing is a hoax.
He's also just pledged to create a, quote, AI force. Consider this.
What are the main priorities each side brings to the Trump‑Xi AI talks?
China and the United States are the centers of global power. And as both sides look to gain an advantage in artificial intelligence development, what does global leadership in AI actually look like? From NPR, I'm Alyssa Nadwarny.
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How do ‘digital choke points’ affect U.S.–China cyber relations?
The Pitt and Pluribus picked up awards and Widow's Bay really cleaned up. We'll tell you why we're quite happy with year's crop of winners in a recap on Pop Culture Happy Hour. Listen via the NPR app or wherever you get your
podcasts.
It's Consider This from NPR. At any meeting between two world powers, each side comes with a list of wants. And for China and the United States, those lists encompass some of the most important issues of our era. Trade, national security, and the status of Taiwan. Also near the top of that agenda will be technology and the fierce competition between Washington and Beijing on issues ranging from the production of microchips to artificial intelligence. I called up Ann Neuberger. She's a former U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technologies. I wanted to learn more about those priorities, and I started by asking her what she will be focused on for this week's summit.
The U.S. and China are locked in a race for AI supremacy and cyber dominance, and neither country is going to sign a broad treaty that freezes tech development. President Trump needs to send a clear message that disruptive cyber intrusions into civilian infrastructure crosses a red line. So establishing, for example, dedicated bilateral hotlines for AI-enabled incidents is a pragmatic step to manage any of that kind of miscalculation.
Which U.S. infrastructure vulnerabilities could China exploit?
You just said disruptive cyber intrusions. Now, you wrote an article in Foreign Affairs magazine in which you describe something you call, quote, digital choke points. How do they play into the U.S.-China relationship?
China has one of the largest and most aggressive offensive cyber programs in the world. They focus not only on espionage, but also on pre-positioning in critical parts of countries' infrastructure, power, pipelines, water in the U.S.,
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Why are the U.S. and China focusing on AI ahead of their summit?
0:00–1:15
2
What are the main priorities each side brings to the Trump‑Xi AI talks?
1:15–2:29
3
How do ‘digital choke points’ affect U.S.–China cyber relations?
2:29–4:02
4
Which U.S. infrastructure vulnerabilities could China exploit?
4:02–5:38
5
In what ways can AI help defenders protect critical networks?
5:38–6:59
6
What cooperative AI safeguards could the two powers agree on?
6:59–8:58
7
How does the U.S. strategy differ from China’s ‘good‑enough’ AI approach?
8:58–10:22
8
What should President Trump convey to Xi about AI leadership and risk?
10:22–11:33
Speakers
5 identifiedMore from Consider This from NPR
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