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US to warn partners they must pick sides in artificial intelligence race with China

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • The U.S. is preparing to pressure dozens of countries to choose sides in the artificial intelligence race against China.
  • Countries aligning with Washington's "Pax Silica" initiative risk exclusion if they also join Beijing's competing "World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization."
  • This move aims to limit China's access to resources and influence in the critical AI sector, highlighting a deepening technological rivalry.

The United States is set to warn numerous countries that they must choose between aligning with Washington or Beijing in the escalating artificial intelligence race. A draft letter from the State Department, reviewed by Reuters, indicates that nations signing onto the U.S.-led "Pax Silica" initiative will be expected to commit fully, potentially excluding them from U.S. cooperation if they also join China's rival "World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization."

Launched last year, Pax Silica aims to secure supply chains for AI models, semiconductors, and critical minerals amid intense technological competition with China. Approximately two dozen countries have joined, including key U.S. allies like Japan, Australia, and South Korea, as well as nations like Kazakhstan, which is crucial for critical minerals but has also joined China's coalition. The U.S. initiative seeks to prevent China from acquiring vital resources needed to develop advanced AI, which could be used for military or economic dominance.

To be part of everything is to be part of nothing. Signature of the Pax Silica Declaration is not merely a membership subscription, but a commitment.

— State Department draft letterThe draft letter urges countries to make a deliberate choice on AI alignment, highlighting the seriousness of the commitment to the U.S.-led initiative.

This diplomatic push intensifies the global struggle for influence in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Chinese President Xi Jinping launched his country's competing organization in July, promoting its open-weight technology as a direct challenge to U.S. leadership. Kazakhstan's dual membership has raised alarms in Washington, prompting the stern message that "Signature of the Pax Silica Declaration is not merely a membership subscription, but a commitment." The draft letter emphasizes that participation cannot be held alongside "duplicative initiatives whose expectations conflict with our own," signaling a clear demand for allegiance in this critical technological domain.

It cannot be held alongside membership in duplicative initiatives whose expectations conflict with our own.

— State Department draft letterThe letter implicitly warns countries against dual alignment with China's AI initiatives, emphasizing the incompatibility of conflicting expectations.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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