US launches pact for AI supply chains to face China

The United States on Thursday announced a pact with allies to secure supply chains for minerals needed for artificial intelligence, hoping to secure a key resource as China quickly takes a lead.

The United States signed an agreement on the supply chains with key Asia-Pacific allies concerned about China’s growing clout Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Australia as well as Israel.

Dubbed the “Pax Silica,” adapting the Latin terms for peace and silicon, a key material in AI, the partnership aims to secure supply chains and ensure that the countries are…