US Treasury Secretary: AI Developers Must Take Responsibility
Washington, Sept 21 (KUNA) — U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent affirmed on Monday that artificial intelligence developers “must take responsibility themselves” rather than expecting the federal government to grant them a “shield from legal liability.” In an interview with CNBC, responding to a question about whether he agreed with U.S. President Donald Trump’s opposition to imposing strict regulatory restrictions on the development of AI technologies, Bessent said, “Humans are responsible, not artificial intelligence.” He added that some of the top CEOs of AI companies have raised concerns about the risks posed by their rapidly advancing models, but their calls to slow the pace of industry growth have been met with opposition from President Trump, who strongly supports the expansion of AI companies and data centers in the United States.
Bessent clarified that he discussed with his Chinese counterpart, He Lifeng, yesterday during their meeting in New York the possibility of opening a communication channel to address any future incidents involving AI, so that both sides could agree on what constitutes the main risks of AI, whether related to out-of-control AI systems, non-state actors in cyberspace, or non-state entities possessing biological weapons.
Regarding the trade file between the two countries, Bessent said that the November 10 deadline for the expiration of the temporary U.S.-China trade truce was a “focal point” of the meeting. When asked whether he had discussed with his Chinese counterpart the “economic pariah” campaign launched by Washington last month to isolate Iran from the global economy, Bessent said, “Yes, we discussed it,” adding, “For many countries, quiet behind-the-scenes discussions are better than public posturing.”
The U.S. Treasury Secretary held a 12-hour meeting with his Chinese counterpart in New York yesterday, ahead of the anticipated summit in Washington later this week between the American and Chinese presidents. The talks took place as Bessent leads U.S. efforts to squeeze the Iranian economy by imposing sanctions on financial entities supporting it. (End) R.S.R./A.S.
