The United States plans to draw China into talks on arms control and establish a global agreement on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) programs. This agreement would ensure that nuclear weapons can only be authorized for use with human oversight. The announcement was made by President Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan. Although China has refused to discuss agreements regarding nuclear weapons in the past, the United States aims to revive arms control discussions and have nuclear-armed members of the United Nations Security Council, including China, embrace basic agreements such as advance notification of missile tests. Sullivan’s speech comes at a time when military tensions between countries are high, with China potentially deploying up to 1,500 nuclear weapons by 2035. Russia and North Korea have also been active in shrinking their nuclear warheads, and Iran has been building up nuclear stockpiles. In order to avoid accidental conflict, the United States plans to supplement its deployed arsenal of 1,550 weapons with various new technologies and pursue arms control measures. While some countries view AI as a potential deterrent to nuclear strikes, the United States maintains that there must always be a “human in the loop” to authorize any use of nuclear weapons.
