Kazakhstan May Have to Choose Between US and Chinese AI Initiatives

Kazakhstan is reportedly the only country participating in both a US-led AI initiative and China’s rival cooperation body. A draft State Department letter would ask partners to choose between them, although it has not been sent and may still change, Orda.kz reports, citing Reuters.

The State Department prepared the draft in June for 35 countries involved in international AI cooperation.

Kazakhstan has drawn particular attention because it joined Pax Silica, a US-led initiative focused on securing supply chains for AI technologies, semiconductors and critical minerals.

At the same time, Kazakhstan became a founding member of the China-backed World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, or WAICO. It is reportedly the only country participating in both frameworks.

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,the draft letter says

The document urges participating countries to make a “conscious choice” about which framework they support. If this language remains in the final version, Kazakhstan could come under pressure to choose between the US and Chinese initiatives.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington criticized the approach, warning that politicizing trade and technology could hinder the global development of artificial intelligence.

The State Department has not yet sent the letter, and its final wording may still change.

Original author: Alina Yelgeldina

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