Robert Rubin, who served as Treasury Secretary during the Clinton administration, recently proposed that the United States and China adopt a collaborative approach to artificial intelligence governance. Drawing a parallel to the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) of the Cold War, Rubin suggested that the current geopolitical rivalry between Washington and Beijing should not preclude cooperation on existential technological risks.

Rubin’s argument centers on the idea that AI, like nuclear weaponry, poses a global threat that requires superpower coordination to mitigate. By utilizing historical precedents of arms control, he believes both nations could establish guardrails that prevent the uncontrolled escalation of AI capabilities. While the current relationship between the two countries is defined by intense competition and mutual suspicion, Rubin maintains that the potential dangers of unmanaged AI necessitate a shift toward diplomatic engagement on the issue. The proposal emphasizes that even during periods of deep ideological conflict, superpowers have historically found it in their own interest to establish safety protocols for transformative technologies.