Select Committee Democrats Urge Trump to Address AI Risks with Xi

WASHINGTON — All eleven Democratic Members of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party today urged President Donald Trump to make artificial intelligence a central topic of his upcoming meeting with General Secretary Xi Jinping. 

In a letter to the White House, the entire Democratic roster of the Select Committee emphasized that “it is essential that [President Trump] use the opportunity at this Thursday’s meeting with General Secretary Xi to discuss AI.” The letter highlights the escalating risks posed by AI, the importance of maintaining America’s innovation edge, and the role of diplomacy in addressing common interests of the U.S. and the People’s Republic of China, like preventing the loss of human control. 

“America’s AI advantage depends on being leaders in both AI technology and governance,” the Members wrote.

The Members pointed to growing calls from AI researchers and industry for safeguards around the development of increasingly advanced models, including concerns about the potential loss of human control over AI and the possibility of AI-enabled biological or chemical attacks.

The Members further noted that discussions with the PRC on these risks need not undermine U.S. technological leadership. Instead, they said, the United States should identify areas where Washington and Beijing may have shared interests while maintaining clear mechanisms for verifying any commitments made by the PRC.

Among the issues raised in the letter was the growing conversation about the possibility of a binding, enforceable, and verifiable international agreement addressing the most serious risks associated with advanced AI.

“Especially when engaging with the PRC, the U.S. cannot assume commitments will be upheld unless there are clear mechanisms for verifying compliance,” the Members wrote.

The Members also underscored the importance of establishing open diplomatic channels on AI risks, arguing that the consequences of failing to responsibly navigate the rapid advancement of the technology could extend beyond the U.S. and the PRC.

The Members requested that the Administration provide Congress with a briefing following President Trump’s meeting with General Secretary Xi, including details about any discussions concerning artificial intelligence.

“Just as humans must be kept in the loop of this technology, Congress must be kept in the loop of your diplomacy,” the Members concluded.

The letter came ahead of a Select Committee shadow hearing on diplomatic negotiations between the U.S. and China on AI, where world-leading experts discussed potential outcomes from the Trump-Xi summit and key provisions of any U.S.-China accord. 

The letter’s signatories – the entire Democratic roster of the Select Committee – are as follows:

Ranking Member Ro Khanna (CA-17) 

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08)

Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14)

Rep. André Carson (IN-07)

Rep. Seth Moulton (MA-06)

Rep. Haley Stevens (MI-11)

Rep. Ritchie Torres (NY-15)

Rep. Shontel Brown (OH-11)

Rep. Greg Stanton (AZ-04)

Rep. Jill Tokuda (HI-02)

Rep. Tom Suozzi (NY-03)

Read the letter in full HERE.

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