US, India bet big on AI, reject fear politics
Washington, Feb 22 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) In a decisive signal to the world, the United States and India have unveiled a new AI partnership that rejects what they call the “paralysis of fear” and instead backs a pro-growth, pro-entrepreneurship model to lead the artificial intelligence race.
Under a Joint Statement on the US-India AI Opportunity Partnership — a bilateral addendum to the Pax Silica Declaration — the two largest democracies of the world pledged to align regulatory systems, strengthen semiconductor and energy supply chains, and drive private-sector innovation to ensure they shape, rather than follow, the next technological revolution.
The two governments said they acknowledge “a shared vision for their innovation ecosystems”, linking the pact to the US-India Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and the India-US COMPACT (Catalyzing Opportunities for Military Partnership and Accelerated Commerce and Technology) for the 21st century.
Recognising that this century is likely to be defined by “the physical backbone for artificial intelligence—from critical minerals and energy to compute and semiconductor manufacturing”, the two sides said the future of AI should rest on “a foundation of trusted collaboration, economic security, and free enterprise”.
Echoing the vision outlined by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi under the Transforming the Relationship Utilizing Strategic Technologies initiative (TRUST), the statement said both countries aim “to move beyond the paralysis of fear in favor of the dynamism of AI opportunity to promote innovation and to deploy it for human prosperity”.
“The two sides share the belief that a significant risk facing the free world is not the advancement of AI, but the failure to lead it,” it added.
A central pillar of the agreement is regulatory alignment.
“Both sides pledge to adopt and mainstream regulatory regimes that advance technological innovation and promote investment. They aim to champion a pro-growth regulatory environment that fosters AI innovation and empowers builders, coders, creators, startups, and the platforms that enable them, in both countries, to test, deploy, and scale rapidly to build secure and trusted AI ecosystems,” the joint statement said.
The partnership focuses on strengthening what it calls the “Physical AI Stack”.
According to the statement, India and the United States plan to deepen cooperation under the Pax Silica framework, including joint research and development projects to expand reliable energy infrastructure, produce critical minerals, harness skilled workforces, and accelerate the development of trusted semiconductor ecosystems.
The statement also emphasised “Driving Free Enterprise”, with both governments seeking to ensure that the AI revolution is propelled by the private sector. They intend to facilitate cross-border venture capital flows and R&D partnerships, enable investments in next-generation data centres, cooperate on development and access to compute and processors for AI, and advance innovation in AI models and applications.
“This partnership signals a new era in which the world’s oldest and largest democracies stand aligned not only in defence of liberty, but in the purposeful pursuit of prosperity and harmony for their peoples,” the statement said. “Together, the two aspire to build an AI future that serves their citizens, strengthens their economies and societies, and reflects their shared values of freedom, openness, and the rule of law.”
The announcement comes at a time when global debates over AI governance, semiconductor supply chains, and critical mineral security are intensifying.
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