US urges 35 countries to choose side in AI rivalry with China
Countries joining Beijing’s AI framework could be excluded from Pax Silica, the Washington-led coalition to secure chip and minerals supply chains.
The United States is preparing a letter to 35 partner countries warning them not to align with both Washington and Beijing’s AI initiatives. In a draft reviewed by Reuters, the State Department cautions that countries joining China’s AI framework could be left out of Pax Silica, a coalition formed last year to secure supply chains for AI models, semiconductors and critical minerals. About two dozen countries are already in the group, including Japan, Australia, South Korea and Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan has drawn attention because it also joined the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping in July. Reuters could not immediately determine when the letter would be sent or whether its wording would change. The State Department declined to comment on the leaked internal document.