WASHINGTON: The United States is preparing to press dozens of countries to choose between Washington’s AI-focused coalition and a competing framework backed by China, according to an internal draft and a US official cited by Reuters.
The planned move highlights how artificial intelligence has increasingly become a strategic issue in the wider technology competition between Washington and Beijing. The US is expected to warn countries that joining China’s competing framework could affect their participation in the US-led initiative.
At the centre of the dispute is Pax Silica, a US-backed framework aimed at strengthening cooperation around critical minerals, semiconductors and artificial intelligence. Washington views control over these technologies and their supply chains as increasingly important to economic and national security.
The proposed approach would put pressure on countries seeking to maintain technology relationships with both Washington and Beijing. Governments could face difficult choices as they attempt to secure access to advanced AI systems, semiconductor technology and critical components from competing technology ecosystems.
The issue reflects a broader shift in the global AI race. Competition is no longer limited to developing more capable models. Access to chips, computing infrastructure, critical minerals, data and energy has become equally important to maintaining an advantage in artificial intelligence.
The US move also comes as Asian economies continue to strengthen their semiconductor capabilities. Industry executives and policymakers are increasingly focused on developing domestic chip production and reducing vulnerabilities in global technology supply chains.
For countries caught between the two technology powers, the emerging divide could create challenges for trade, investment and access to advanced computing technologies.
The development marks another step in the transformation of AI from a fast-growing commercial sector into a major component of geopolitical competition, with technology alliances increasingly shaping the global semiconductor and computing landscape.
