Bangladesh, Dec. 30 -- Artificial intelligence has moved from the realm of science fiction to the core of global power politics. What once seemed like a purely technological or commercial competition has rapidly become a defining national security issue of the 21st century. In November 2024, when US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping issued their first substantive joint statement acknowledging the risks posed by AI-specifically affirming the need to maintain human control over nuclear weapons-it marked a small but symbolically significant step. The statement itself was modest, even obvious, yet the diplomatic effort behind it revealed how difficult and necessary such engagement has become.

At first glance, agreeing that...