US Weighs Banning Nations From Pax Silica If They Join China AI Group

The United States is preparing to tell countries that they will be excluded from a U.S.-led artificial intelligence coalition if they join a Chinese-led one, Reuters reported Friday (Aug. 14), citing an unnamed U.S. official and a draft of a letter to members of the coalition.

The U.S. coalition, Pax Silica, was launched last year and has about two dozen members. The Chinese coalition, the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, was launched in July, according to the report.

Pax Silica is designed to secure supply chains for AI models, semiconductors and critical minerals, and it provides members with access to investment opportunities in AI-related projects, the report said.

Currently, only one country, Kazakhstan, is known to have jointed both initiatives, per the report.

The U.S. State Department’s draft letter telling countries they can’t be members of both organizations, is addressed to the 35 countries that signed an AI Opportunity Statement that was published by the U.S. in June. The Statement was signed by members of Pax Silica as well as other countries that have signaled that they want to cooperate on AI with the U.S., according to the report.

The letter has not yet been sent, and the contents could change, per the report.

Asked about the report by Reuters, the State Department said it would not comment on “purportedly leaked internal documents,” according to the report.

The Kazakh embassy did not reply to Reuters’ request for comment, while the Chinese embassy said China opposes politicizing trade and technology issues, per the report.

The AI Opportunity Statement outlines how the U.S. and strategic partner economies can collaborate on the technology, according to a page on the State Department’s website.

The page said strategic partners must “commit to fostering a pro-growth, pro-innovation regulatory environment — one that empowers startups, developers and the private sector while aligning its AI supply chains with those of the United States and Pax Silica economies.”

The State Department said Wednesday (Aug. 12) that it launched a Pax Silica AI Assistance Project that is designed to speed the trade of AI-related materials with America’s allies.

It was reported July 16 that 29 nations formalized the establishment of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, marking a significant step by China to institutionalize its influence over the global digital economy and the rules governing emerging technologies.