Experts Urge Trump and Xi to Set AI Nuclear Red Lines

Security experts from the Brookings Institution and Fudan University have proposed a framework of nuclear-style safeguards to prevent autonomous AI from initiating military crises. In a joint report, Melanie Sisson and Tianjiao Jiang urged the United States and China to establish explicit red lines preventing AI from independently deciding to use nuclear weapons or attacking nuclear command, control, and communications systems. They also recommend a dedicated military hotline to manage AI-related emergencies and prevent automated cyber exchanges from escalating into conflict.

These proposals precede a scheduled September 24 meeting in Washington between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping. U.S. Representative Ted Lieu and Senator Ed Markey have formally urged Trump to secure a commitment from Xi ensuring humans remain in control of nuclear launch decisions, citing the U.S. principle of maintaining a human-in-the-loop. While Xi previously agreed with former President Joe Biden in 2024 that AI should not handle nuclear decisions, current tensions and the Trump administration's use of AI in campaigns against Iran have heightened concerns.

International pressure for broader restrictions is also mounting. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for a ban on autonomous weapons systems, arguing that decisions to take human lives must remain human. However, President Trump has dismissed AI doomsday fears as a "SICK conspiracy" and expressed concern that broad restraints could grant China a technological advantage.