Audio of this conversation is available via your favorite podcast service.On Friday, September 11, I moderated a discussion at the Institute for America, China, and the Future of Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC as part of an event called “Getting Tech Right: US China Policy for a New Era.” Amid a frenzy of headlines about AI safety and just two weeks out from a planned meeting of US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping, the discussion was organized around the question, what does AI governance actually demand right now? Joining me were:Amba Kak, AI Now InstituteKat Duffy, Council on Foreign RelationsMiro Plueckebaum, Oxford Martin AI Governance InitiativeJack Shanahan, SAIS ACF and the Center for a New American SecurityWhat follows is a lightly edited transcript of the discussion.Citizens and tourists experience and purchase products at an ‘AI intelligent terminal’ consumer center on September 10, 2026 in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province of China. The center features over 200 terminals and related products ranging from smart health and travel to emotional companionship. (Photo by Jiang Wenchao/VCG via AP)Justin Hendrix:My name's Justin Hendrix. I'm CEO and editor of a site called Tech Policy Press, which focuses on issues at the intersection of tech and democracy. I'm normally based in New York City. And when I talk about things happening in the specter of the US Capitol, it's not literally right above…

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