Artificial intelligence has often been discussed as a tech story of better algorithms, faster chips and smarter machines. That phase is over. Governments now see AI as critical national infrastructure, similar to oil, shipping routes, or military systems.

The United States is leading a push to turn AI cooperation into something that looks less like an open global market and more like a trusted security network. The goal is not just to innovate faster, but to control who builds AI systems, where they are built, and which countries are allowed deep access to the supply chain behind them.

At the heart of this effort is a new US-led coalition informally referred to as Pax Silica, a name that signals a “silicon-based peace,” where technological power underpins geopolitical stability.

AI Power Starts With Minerals, Energy and Ports

What makes this strategy different is its scope. It does not focus only on software or research labs. It stretches across the full industrial backbone of AI:

• Rare and critical minerals needed for advanced chips
• Semiconductor design and fabrication
• Data centres and energy supply
• Transport and logistics infrastructure
• Financing of large-scale tech projects

This reflects a major shift in how Washington views AI. The concern is not only about falling behind in innovation, but about structural dependence. If key components of AI systems such as chips, materials, or infrastructure, are controlled by strategic rivals, technological leadership becomes fragile.

This is why supply chains are now treated as security assets. A country’s ports, power grids, telecoms systems, and industrial partnerships are no longer seen as neutral commercial spaces. They are considered potential pressure points in a future crisis.

A Club of “Trusted” AI Economies

The coalition forming around this vision includes advanced industrial states and increasingly, energy-rich Gulf economies. Members are expected to meet strict standards on technology protection, infrastructure security, and data governance.

This is not a symbolic grouping. It signals a generational decision: these are the countries the US sees as safe long-term partners for deep technological integration.

A key issue is defining what counts as “sensitive technology” and “critical infrastructure.” That may sound technical, but it has serious consequences. It determines:

• Which companies can access advanced chip tools
• Who can invest in strategic infrastructure
• How data flows across borders
• Where AI research collaboration is allowed

The coalition is essentially building a shared rulebook for the most valuable parts of the digital economy.

Trust, But With Verification

One striking element of the US approach is that trust is not assumed. Partnerships will include monitoring, safeguards, and oversight to prevent technology leakage. Intellectual property protection, data security, and export controls are expected to tighten.

This signals that the AI era will not look like the early internet, which expanded under relatively open rules. Instead, it resembles the Cold War model of technology blocs — but focused on semiconductors, energy grids, and data centres rather than missiles.

For partner countries, this creates both opportunity and responsibility. Membership offers access to investment, joint projects, and advanced industrial cooperation. But it also means accepting limits on certain types of engagement with strategic rivals.

Why Gulf Countries Matter in an AI Coalition

The inclusion of Gulf states shows how AI geopolitics is merging with energy and infrastructure power. These countries bring:

• Massive capital for large-scale tech investments
• Cheap and scalable energy for data centres
• Ambitions to become global digital hubs
• Strategic geographic locations linking trade routes

AI systems, especially large models, require enormous electricity and physical infrastructure. Control over energy supply and land for data centres is becoming as important as control over software.

This explains why AI partnerships now sit alongside traditional trade and investment dialogues. Technology is no longer a separate sector, it is embedded in economic diplomacy.

From Globalisation to “Selective Integration”

The broader trend here is the move away from fully globalised technology systems. Instead of one interconnected market, we are seeing selective integration, deep cooperation inside trusted networks, and tighter barriers outside them.

This does not mean global trade disappears. But the most advanced layers of the AI economy may increasingly operate inside protected circles, where security, politics, and industry are tightly linked.

For businesses, this creates a new reality. Market access may depend less on price competitiveness and more on geopolitical alignment. Investment decisions, supply chains, and partnerships will be shaped by security standards as much as commercial logic.

AI as the New Foundation of Power

What is unfolding is bigger than a technology partnership. It is an attempt to design the economic architecture of the next era. AI infrastructure, chip supply chains, energy systems, and trusted alliances are being woven together into a single strategic framework.

In this model, leadership in artificial intelligence is not only about smarter machines. It is about controlling the industrial ecosystem that makes those machines possible and ensuring that ecosystem sits inside a stable, politically aligned group of states. AI is no longer just an innovation race. It is becoming the foundation of a new geopolitical order.

Written by:

*Chloe Maluleke

Associate at BRICS+ Consulting Group

Russia & Middle East Specialist

**The Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Independent Media or IOL.

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