US Under Secretary of Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg declared that artificial intelligence will serve as one of the defining engines of global prosperity for decades to come. He made the remarks at the two-day Pax Silica Summit in Washington, DC, on June 25, 2026, emphasizing the urgent need for international cooperation to build secure technology frameworks.
Global Challenges Require Collective Action
Addressing delegates from partner economies, Helberg noted that governments worldwide face identical structural challenges as AI expands rapidly. "Governments everywhere are asking many of the same questions - How do we build trusted AI ecosystems? How do we attract investment? How do we secure resilient supply chains? How do we ensure our citizens share in the prosperity AI can create? No country can answer those questions alone," he stated.
Helberg stressed that the current geopolitical and economic landscape demands proactive partnerships rather than defensive strategies. "Countries are not looking for another forum to manage decline. They are looking for practical partners to help growth. This is exactly why we are here today," he explained.
AI as a Long-Term Economic Driver
Underscoring the transformative impact of deep-tech innovation, Helberg outlined how AI will underpin international financial stability and economic advancement. "Artificial Intelligence is already transforming the global economy. But what we have seen so far is only the beginning. AI is not just a powerful driver for growth today, it will be one of the defining engines of prosperity for decades to come," he said.
His comments align with the Pax Silica initiative's focus on securing critical technology supply chains. The summit brings together member countries exploring alternative strategies to reduce dependence on China for critical minerals and semiconductors.
India-US Bilateral Talks on Technology Cooperation
On the sidelines of the summit, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Secretary S Krishnan met with US Under Secretary Jacob Helberg to bolster supply chain security across critical technology domains. The Indian embassy in the US posted on X: "MeitY Secretary S Krishnan met with US Under Secretary of State Jacob S Helberg to deepen bilateral technological cooperation."
The embassy added that discussions covered "avenues for cooperation in building diversified and trusted supply chains, particularly in semiconductor manufacturing, AI adoption, and securing access to critical minerals."
Pax Silica Initiative: A Strategic Pact
Krishnan visited Washington to participate in the second Pax Silica Summit, which features member countries that have signed up for the framework. The inaugural summit took place in December 2024, with New Delhi formally joining the initiative in February 2025 on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi.
Rather than functioning as a standard trade agreement, the initiative operates as a pact for economic and military security. This framework is anchored on the understanding that future security will rely heavily on which nations manage and control the artificial intelligence value chain. Semiconductors and critical minerals lie at the heart of the initiative, both becoming increasingly vital for national security and global economic competitiveness. The framework underscores an intensifying strategy by Washington and its allies to decouple and lower reliance on Beijing in industries crucial to the future global economy.
