US and China Announce AI Safety Protocol — Bessent Says US Negotiates 'From the Lead' After Trump-Xi Beijing Summit

CNBC·high signal

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced May 14 that the US and China will establish a joint AI safety protocol focused on preventing non-state actors from accessing frontier models. The agreement emerged from Trump-Xi meetings in Beijing, with Bessent telling CNBC 'the reason we are able to have wholesome discussions with the Chinese on AI is because we are in the lead.' The protocol aims to balance innovation with safety guardrails for the most powerful AI systems.