U.S. to Tell 35 Partners They Must Pick Sides in AI Race With China

My take: The United States asking 35 nations to choose between its AI coalition and China's is not just foreign policy news: it is a signal of how far the tension between two incompatible visions for governing AI has gone.

The U.S. initiative, Pax Silica, aims to secure supply chains for AI models, semiconductors, and critical minerals. China responded in July with the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization. Kazakhstan, currently the only country that signed both frameworks, triggered the State Department letter, whose message is clear: "To be part of everything is to be part of nothing."

For builders working with AI, this matters in practical terms. Access to tools, models, and chips could become more restrictive if countries begin segregating their technology ecosystems. The rules around which model is available in which country have already started to shift.

Do you know how much your business would be affected if the models you use today became subject to geopolitical restrictions?