US and China Address AI Military Risks at Beijing Security Conference

The 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum brought together around 2,000 delegates from approximately 100 countries, where American and Chinese defense experts found common ground on the risks posed by artificial intelligence in military contexts. The central theme of the conference was the increasing role of AI in military operations and the potential for algorithms to make life-or-death decisions faster than human intervention.

One of the most alarming discussions focused on how AI is shortening military decision-making timelines. Commanders, who once had hours or days to assess threats, may now have only minutes due to AI-enabled systems. Experts Melanie Sisson from the Brookings Institution and Tianjiao Jiang of Fudan University advocated for strong regulations, including mandatory human oversight for military AI systems involved in critical decisions.

The forum also highlighted the destabilizing effects of AI-generated disinformation on international security cooperation. Chinese State Security Minister Chen Yixin emphasized that AI is transforming military competition and poses significant threats to political stability.

Both sides agreed on the necessity of human oversight in nuclear decisions, reaffirming a 2024 agreement that mandates human involvement in nuclear command and control. Proposals at the forum included establishing dedicated hotlines for managing AI-related military incidents and creating international norms to prevent the full delegation of critical military functions to AI.

This conference occurred just days before a scheduled summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, where bilateral discussions on AI were also on the agenda.