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🇰🇷 South Korea /Technology

US to tell AI allies: Choose between us and China

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The U.S. is preparing to tell its AI allies, including South Korea, that they must choose between U.S.-led AI cooperation and Chinese-led initiatives.
  • A draft internal memo indicates that countries signing the U.S.'s 'AI Opportunity Statement' risk exclusion from the U.S. alliance if they participate in Chinese-led AI groups.
  • This move intensifies pressure on allies to align with the U.S. in AI technology and supply chains, following similar actions in semiconductors and critical minerals.

The United States is signaling a firm stance on artificial intelligence cooperation, preparing to tell allies, including South Korea, that they cannot participate in both U.S.-led and China-led AI initiatives. A draft internal memo obtained by Reuters suggests that countries that have signed the U.S.'s "AI Opportunity Statement" will be warned that joining Chinese-led AI cooperation bodies could lead to their exclusion from the U.S. alliance.

Being part of everything means being part of nothing.

— U.S. State Department memo draftThe draft internal memo from the U.S. State Department emphasizes the commitment required from nations participating in the U.S.-led AI alliance.

This strategy aims to solidify the U.S. dominance in AI technology and supply chains, mirroring its approach in semiconductors and critical minerals. The memo, intended for the 35 nations that signed the "AI Opportunity Statement" in June, emphasizes that "being part of everything means being part of nothing." It clarifies that participation in the U.S.-led "Pax Silica" initiative, which includes South Korea, Japan, Australia, and Kazakhstan, is a commitment that cannot coexist with membership in "overlapping initiatives" that clash with U.S. interests.

The U.S. move appears to be a direct response to China's recent launch of the "World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization" under President Xi Jinping. Kazakhstan's dual participation in both U.S. and Chinese initiatives has particularly drawn U.S. attention, as it is reportedly the only country currently involved in both. The draft memo explicitly states that membership in Pax Silica "cannot be maintained alongside membership in overlapping initiatives where our expectations clash," indirectly targeting China's efforts to build a competing AI ecosystem.

Pax Silica participation cannot be maintained alongside membership in overlapping initiatives where our expectations clash.

— U.S. State Department memo draftThe draft memo highlights that participation in the U.S.-led AI initiative is exclusive and incompatible with joining competing, particularly China-led, AI cooperation bodies.

While the memo is an undated draft and its final content and delivery remain unconfirmed, the U.S. intention is clear: to compel allies to make a definitive choice in the burgeoning AI landscape. A U.S. government official told Reuters that the memo's purpose is to make it evident that "you can't have both."

You can't have both.

— U.S. government officialA U.S. government official explained the memo's purpose to Reuters, underscoring the need for allies to choose between U.S. and Chinese AI initiatives.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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