WASHINGTON, DC — Trump administration officials are considering holding a meeting with executives from major artificial intelligence companies during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s upcoming visit to Washington, as concerns over AI safety and the US-China technology race intensify.
Sources familiar with the plans said that officials are discussing the logistics of bringing senior technology executives together on the sidelines of Xi’s visit to discuss the future of artificial intelligence and the risks associated with increasingly powerful systems.
No meeting has been formally scheduled, and it remains unclear whether President Donald Trump would participate if the gathering goes ahead.
Xi is not currently expected to attend the proposed meeting.
AI Executives Expected in Washington
Executives from several leading technology companies are expected to be in Washington for events surrounding Xi’s state visit.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang are among those expected to attend Trump’s state dinner for Xi.
OpenAI confirmed Wednesday that Altman will attend the dinner, while Reuters reported that Huang is also expected to be there.
Representatives of Meta, Anthropic, Google and SpaceXAI had not commented on the reported discussions.
The presence of major AI executives could provide an opportunity for Washington to discuss the rapidly developing technology at a time when artificial intelligence has become an increasingly important element of US-China economic and strategic competition.
Trump Administration Seeks AI Leadership
A Trump administration official told CNN that the government remains in regular contact with leading AI companies.
“The Administration is in regular contact with AI frontier labs, and will continue engaging with the tech industry to cement America’s AI dominance while keeping Americans safe.”
The administration’s emphasis on maintaining US leadership comes as Washington and Beijing compete over advanced AI models, semiconductors and computing infrastructure.
Reuters reported Wednesday that AI competition is expected to be a central issue in the upcoming Trump-Xi talks, including disagreements over advanced chips, technology transfers, military applications and regulation.
Trump Pushes Back Against AI Safety Warnings
The proposed meeting comes amid a growing disagreement between the Trump administration and some leading AI executives over how quickly the technology should develop.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, OpenAI’s Sam Altman and SpaceXAI’s Elon Musk have all expressed concerns about the potential risks associated with unchecked AI development.
Trump has pushed back against calls for stronger safeguards, arguing that slowing US AI development could allow China to gain an advantage.
The President has described some warnings about AI taking over or destroying humanity as exaggerated and has argued that the United States should maintain its technological lead.
Reuters reported that Trump has rejected calls for additional AI regulation while stressing the strategic importance of maintaining US leadership over China.
House Speaker Says AI Meeting Has Been Discussed
House Speaker Mike Johnson has previously said discussions were underway to bring AI executives together with Trump.
Johnson said Tuesday that the timing of any such meeting around Xi’s visit would be coincidental, arguing that discussions about bringing the technology leaders together had been taking place for some time.
“We’ve been talking about this for quite some time,” Johnson said, according to CNN.
He indicated that the gathering could take place next week but did not confirm whether it had been formally scheduled.
Could US and China Discuss AI Safety?
The proposed meeting comes as some US officials and technology leaders advocate greater international coordination on AI risks.
OpenAI executives have called for discussions between Washington and Beijing over AI safety, while Altman has suggested that shared standards and testing mechanisms could help prevent an uncontrolled race to develop increasingly powerful systems.
The issue is gaining traction ahead of the Trump-Xi summit.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has also said Washington is open to discussions with China about shared AI risks. Separate talks between Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng are scheduled ahead of the Trump-Xi meeting.
AI Race Adds Complexity to Trump-Xi Summit
The potential gathering of American AI executives comes against a broader backdrop of competition between Washington and Beijing over advanced technology.
The two countries are seeking advantages in AI while simultaneously debating how to manage risks associated with autonomous systems and increasingly capable models.
China has also criticised recent calls from US technology leaders to slow AI development, with Beijing accusing some US proposals of seeking to preserve American technological dominance.
For now, however, the proposed meeting between Trump administration officials and AI executives remains under discussion.
The Trump-Xi summit is expected to address AI alongside other major economic, technological and geopolitical issues, with both countries seeking to maintain their competitive positions while exploring areas where cooperation may be possible.
