US Tells Nations to Choose Sides in Global AI Race

The United States is preparing to send a letter to dozens of countries, urging them to choose sides in the global artificial intelligence race.

Nations that join China's competing framework will be excluded from Washington's coalition, known as Pax Silica, according to a US official and a draft reviewed by Reuters. Pax Silica, launched last year, aims to secure supply chains for AI models, semiconductors, and critical minerals. Around two dozen countries have signed on, including Japan, Australia, South Korea, and Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan's dual membership in both Pax Silica and China's World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) has raised concerns in Washington. The draft letter warns that "To be part of everything is to be part of nothing," emphasizing that signing the Pax Silica Declaration is a commitment, not merely a subscription. The State Department prepared the letter for the 35 signatories of a US "AI Opportunity Statement" signed in June.

China, meanwhile, has established WAICO, headquartered in Shanghai, with founding members including Russia, Brazil, and Indonesia. WAICO is described in Chinese diplomatic circles as a major step to answer the Global South's call for greater participation in AI development, aiming to spread AI applications and organize training programs. China's framework rests on four principles: openness and win-win cooperation, risk awareness, inclusivity, and solidarity in global governance. China rejects what it calls the overextension of national security.