Concordia AI Founder and CEO Brian Tse recently published an op-ed in Time Magazine: “China Is Taking AI Safety Seriously. So Must the U.S.” We are sharing the first few paragraphs below and encourage interested readers to read it in full on the Time website.
China doesn’t care about AI safety—so why should we?” This flawed logic pervades U.S. policy and tech circles, offering cover for a reckless race to the bottom as Washington rushes to outpace Beijing in AI development.
According to this rationale, regulating AI would risk falling behind in the so-called “AI arms race.” And since China supposedly doesn’t prioritize safety, racing ahead—even recklessly—is the safer long-term bet. This narrative is not just wrong; it’s dangerous.
Ironically, Chinese leaders may have a lesson for the U.S.’s AI boosters: true speed requires control. As China’s top tech official, Ding Xuexiang, put it bluntly at Davos in January 2025: “If the braking system isn’t under control, you can’t step on the accelerator with confidence.” For Chinese leaders, safety isn’t a constraint; it’s a prerequisite.
AI safety has become a political priority in China. In April, President Xi Jinping chaired a rare Politburo study session on AI warning of “unprecedented” risks. China’s National Emergency Response Plan now lists AI safety alongside pandemics and cyberattacks. Regulators require pre-deployment safety assessments for generative AI and recently removed over 3,500 non-compliant AI products from the market. In just the first half of this year, China has issued more national AI standards than in the previous three years combined. Meanwhile, the volume of technical papers focused on frontier AI safety has more than doubled over the past year in China.
But the last time U.S. and Chinese leaders met to discuss AI’s risks was in May 2024. In September, officials from both nations hinted at a second round of conversations “at an appropriate time.” But no meeting took place under the Biden Administration, and there is even greater uncertainty over whether the Trump Administration will pick up the baton. This is a missed opportunity.
Read the full op-ed here.