US warns allies against joining Chinese AI initiatives as tech cold war deepens

The global AI race now has two team jerseys, and Washington is making it very clear which one its friends should be wearing. The US has been actively warning allied nations against participating in Chinese-led artificial intelligence initiatives, a move designed to protect critical supply chains and consolidate its own AI leadership. The pressure campaign comes as both superpowers have launched competing international frameworks that threaten to split global AI development along geopolitical fault lines. Two frameworks, two visions China officially launched the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation, known as WAICO, on July 16, 2026. The organization debuted with 29 founding members, a roster that includes Russia, Pakistan, and Brazil. Chinese President Xi Jinping introduced WAICO at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference, positioning it as a platform for global collaboration. The pitch: no single nation should dominate AI governance. Think of it as China’s version of “open-source diplomacy,” where developing nations get a seat at the table rather than watching from the lobby. The US, for its part, wasn’t exactly caught flat-footed. Washington had already roll...