In this special episode of The Beijing Brief, Ryan Hass speaks with R. David Edelman on the sidelines of the United Nations Global Conference on AI, Security, and Ethics in Geneva, Switzerland. Drawing on seven years of experience participating in a track II dialogue on AI and national security, they discuss the importance of sustained dialogue despite broader strategic competition, prospects for renewed government-to-government AI talks, shared concerns over AI-enabled cyber and biological risks, and the growing debate over global AI governance.
EDELMAN: If there is one set of issues that seems to unite U.S. and China, it is mutual anxiety about the impact that AI can have on our collective national security, and even for the relationship and sleepwalking into, God forbid, a conflict. And so that’s really what we’re focused on today, is talking about what are the mechanisms that exist bilaterally, at the perhaps multilateral or international level, to bring down the risk of an otherwise unintended conflict.
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HASS: Hi, this is Ryan Hass, co-host of the Beijing Brief podcast. I’m here with my friend and colleague, David Edelman.
EDELMAN: Hey, Ryan. Good to see you.
