Trumponomics: Why the US Must Engage China on AI Safety Before It’s ‘Game Over’
Trumponomics
Why the US Must Engage China on AI Safety Before It’s ‘Game Over’
As President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping sit down for their high-stakes summit, a key risk in the US-China relationship is being underplayed: the race to control—and contain—artificial intelligence. On this week’s episode of Trumponomics, host Stephanie Flanders speaks with Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow Sebastian Mallaby, who warned that while trade and semiconductors dominate the agenda, AI safety remains a “potentially dangerous missed opportunity” for cooperation between the two powers. Mallaby, author of The Infinity Machine: Demis Hassabis, DeepMind and the Quest for Superintelligence, said the geopolitical rivalry is accelerating AI development even as safeguards lag—increasing the risk of powerful systems falling into the wrong hands.
May 13, 2026