The US wants the world to pick a side on AI. But for many countries, China’s pitch may be more compelling
AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication
Washington has intensified its campaign to force nations to align with the United States in the artificial‑intelligence rivalry, a strategy highlighted by President Donald Trump’s recent claim that “whoever wins AI wins.” In response, Beijing unveiled the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, offering an alternative coalition of 29 countries that promotes open‑source models and access. While the United States relies on its chips, investors and the Pax Silica alliance to limit dependence on Chinese supply chains, Chinese firms such as DeepSeek and Moonshot provide affordable models attractive to developers in the Global South. The Trump‑Xi summit in August produced only a dialogue and a channel, leaving cooperation on standards and regulation unresolved.
💡 Why It Matters
- · By courting developing nations with cheap, open‑source AI, China builds a parallel ecosystem that could erode U.S.
- · market dominance and reshape global AI governance.