Russia, China and the United States are reportedly discussing a mutual commitment to restrict artificial intelligence in nuclear arsenals, ahead of a planned trilateral summit next week in Shenzhen, according to a report relayed by Moscow Times. The AI nuclear arsenals talks, if confirmed, would bring the three powers together on one of the most sensitive areas of military technology.
According to Moscow Times, which cited a report by the South China Morning Post, Russia is in discussions with China and the United States about a mutual commitment to restrict AI use in nuclear arsenals. The trilateral summit is planned for next week on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen, the outlet said.
The same account says working-level negotiators have narrowed the agenda to areas of potential consensus. The Ukraine war and Korean Peninsula denuclearization have largely been dropped, citing sources familiar with the matter. Negotiating teams have focused on guardrails for AI in nuclear command-and-control systems.
Diplomats from the three countries are reportedly working toward a joint declaration stating that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought, Moscow Times reported.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow is exchanging agenda proposals with Washington and Beijing. He said the meeting would draw the attention of everyone in the world. Neither the Chinese nor the U.S. government has responded in the reporting available, and no statement from Beijing or Washington on the agenda is included.
The broader context in the report points to differing positions. China reportedly prefers that Ukraine talks take place directly between Russia and the United States, and treats Korean Peninsula security as a bilateral issue between Pyongyang and Washington. Russia maintains a cautious stance on formal curbs on nuclear command systems, largely resisting agreements that could constrain its military flexibility, according to the report.
Several gaps remain. The account rests on a single outlet relaying the South China Morning Post, and the original SCMP report was not available to verify. The key claims come from unnamed sources familiar with the matter, and no named official has confirmed the AI commitment talks. The exact summit date is given only as next week, and the report’s date is not specified. Details on the proposed guardrails and the declaration’s wording have not been published.
The summit, if it goes ahead as planned, could be where the AI guardrails and the joint declaration are discussed or agreed.
Sources
This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.