To the Editor:

Re “Facial Scans Tighten China’s Grip on a Minority” (front page, April 15):

Your reporting on the use of facial recognition in China for “minority identification” is a stark reminder that the battle over the future of artificial intelligence will not simply be about who gathers the top scientists or who is first to innovate. It will also be about who is able to preserve fundamental rights during a period of rapidly changing technology.

The White House has already made some progress on this front, highlighting American values, including privacy and civil liberties, in an executive order earlier this year, and backing an important international framework at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. But there is much more to be done.

The United States must work with other democratic countries to establish red lines for certain A.I. applications and ensure fairness, accountability and transparency as A.I. systems are deployed.

The administration should open the American policy process to ensure that the voice of civil society is heard. And the United States should be prepared to make oppressive uses of A.I. a trade issue that could trigger sanctions and more.