Podcasts · Future of Life Institute Podcast

What Would a US-China AI Deal Look Like? (with Beatrice Fihn)

10 Sep 2026 · 52 min

Beatrice Fihn is the director of Lex International and former executive director of ICAN. She joins the podcast to discuss international AI governance and potential agreements between the US and China. Drawing on lessons from nuclear arms control, she explores how treaties build diplomatic trust, the rising dangers of autonomous weapons, and the principle of meaningful human control. The conversation also addresses how proactive safety regulations can foster long-term public trust in emerging technologies.

LINKS:

• Beatrice Fihn Official Website

CHAPTERS:

(00:00) Episode Preview

(01:15) Anticipating US-China AI talks

(07:31) Lessons from nuclear treaties

(10:59) Building international treaty trust

(15:27) Norms against superpower war

(21:33) Structuring diplomatic AI summits

(27:09) Dangers of autonomous weapons

(34:09) Meaningful human control principle

(38:57) Human agency over technology

(43:13) Safety regulations building trust

(47:00) Collective action in crisis

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https://aipodcast.ing

SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: https://podcast.futureoflife.org

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-rCCy3FQ-GItDimSR9lhzw/

Apple: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1170991978

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Op1WO3gwVwCrYHg4eoGyP

Links in the notes 9

• https://beatricefihn.com
• https://aipodcast.ing
• https://podcast.futureoflife.org
• https://x.com/FLI_org
• https://x.com/gusdocker
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/future-of-life-institute/
• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-rCCy3FQ-GItDimSR9lhzw/
• https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1170991978
• https://open.spotify.com/show/2Op1WO3gwVwCrYHg4eoGyP

The episode on the publisher’s site ↗ (opens in a new tab)