As President Donald Trump prepares for high-level meetings with technology and AI executives in Washington, Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) has introduced a proposal for a bilateral treaty between the US and China. Khanna, who serves as the top Democrat on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, argues that such an agreement is necessary to prevent AI from causing significant global instability or "wreaking havoc."

In an effort to gauge the feasibility of this proposal, Khanna has sent letters to both US intelligence agencies and major Chinese AI companies. The inquiries focus on how these entities would respond to scenarios involving autonomous AI agents, such as those developed by firms like OpenAI, if they were to malfunction or act in ways that threaten public safety.

While the proposal aims to establish international guardrails, analysts suggest that securing cooperation between the two nations remains a significant diplomatic challenge. The initiative highlights growing concerns within Congress regarding the rapid development of AI and the potential for cross-border incidents. Khanna’s outreach is seen as a preliminary step in determining whether Chinese firms would be willing to participate in a shared safety framework. The Verge reports that the letters were shared exclusively with their publication, marking a notable move by the congressman to bring the issue of AI safety to the forefront of the legislative agenda ahead of the upcoming presidential meetings.