U.S. to tell partners they must pick sides in AI race with China People march as they protest against Pax Silica, a U.S.-led initiative, in Manila on Thursday. WASHINGTON - The U.S. is preparing to tell dozens of countries they must pick sides in the artificial intelligence race with China, warning they will be excluded from a U.S.-led AI coalition if they also sign up for Beijing's competing framework, according to a U.S. official and an internal draft reviewed by reporters. Washington last year launched the Pax Silica initiative aimed at securing supply chains for AI models, semiconductors and critical minerals, amid a fierce technology rivalry with Beijing. About two dozen countries have joined, including Kazakhstan, a key potential source of critical minerals that has also joined China's coalition, as well as close U.S. allies such as Japan, Australia and South Korea. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.

U.S. moves to deepen minerals supply chain in AI race with China The U.S. is looking to cut its dependence on China. The U.S. will seek agreements with eight allied nations as part of a fresh effort to strengthen supply chains for the computer chips and critical minerals needed for artificial intelligence technology, according to the top State Department official for economic affairs. The initiative, which builds on efforts dating back to the first administration of President Donald Trump, unfolds as the U.S. looks to cut its dependence on China. It will begin with a meeting at the White House on Dec. 12 between the U.S. and counterparts from Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the U.K., Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Australia, Jacob Helberg, the undersecretary of state for economic affairs, said in an interview. Helberg, a former adviser at Palantir Technologies, said the summit will focus on reaching agreements across the areas of energy, critical minerals, advanced manufacturing semiconductors, AI infrastructure, and transportation logistics.

FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Energy, the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency are set to announce a bevy of new actions Tuesday afternoon that will "unleash" coal energy following President Donald Trump's expected signature on an executive order reinvigorating "America's beautiful clean coal industry," Fox News Digital learned. "The American people need more energy, and the Department of Energy is helping to meet this demand by unleashing supply of affordable, reliable, secure energy sources -- including coal," Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a Tuesday statement provided to Fox News Digital. "Coal is essential for generating 24/7 electricity generation that powers American homes and businesses, but misguided policies from previous administrations have stifled this critical American industry," he said. "With President Trump's leadership, we are cutting the red tape and bringing back common sense." Trump is expected to sign an executive order Tuesday afternoon that will cut through red tape surrounding the coal industry, including directing the National Energy Dominance Council to designate coal as a "mineral," end a current pause to coal leasing on federal lands, promote coal and coal technology exports, and encourage the use of coal to power artificial intelligence initiatives, Fox News Digital learned of the upcoming executive order.

The energy transition requires critical minerals. Though the U.S. has plentiful resources of its own, the country has largely relied on foreign sources. That's in part because one major roadblock to accessing American critical mineral deposits is that they remain largely unmapped. That may be about to change, though. The Department of Defense and the U.S. Geological Survey have issued two separate challenges to explore using artificial intelligence and machine learning to expedite USGS' task of assessing the availability and mining potential of 50 critical minerals.