QUAD
Quad pledges $85 million for AI access across Indo-Pacific, vows crackdown on online scam networks
Atlanta/IBNS: The United States, Australia, India and Japan said on Saturday they intend to provide over $85 million to expand access to trusted artificial intelligence across the Indo-Pacific and to dismantle transnational online scam networks.
The U.S. Secretary of State and the foreign ministers of the other three Quad countries met in Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday and reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, according to a joint statement.
They also voiced "grave concerns" over economic coercion and called for navigational freedoms to be protected in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Money for AI
The ministers said they intend to give over $85 million in technical and financial help for trusted AI, including through the Quad AI Accelerator.
They described AI and initiatives such as Pax Silica as important to future economic growth, the statement said.
Online scams
The ministers said online and cyber scams threaten national and international peace and security, and condemned criminal groups that run the operations and traffic people to carry out fraud.
They said such networks steal tens of billions of dollars a year from their citizens, and committed to dismantling them and holding their leaders accountable.
Supply chains and sea lanes
The ministers criticised economic coercion, including arbitrary export restrictions, and non-market practices that create overcapacity and disrupt supply chains in critical industries, without naming any country.
They stressed the need to protect shipping lanes and the passage of crews and vessels without tolls, in line with international law as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
On critical minerals, the U.S. committed $10 million to promote facilities in India and ASEAN countries that recover minerals from electronic waste and scrap.
The Quad also held its first Fuel Security Forum in September and said it is working with Fiji on upgrading ports at Suva, Lautoka and Rokobili.
Security at sea
A Quad ship observer mission sailed from Chennai to Perth between September 25 and October 7 aboard an Indian Coast Guard vessel, with representatives from all four countries on board.
The four countries plan their first exercise under a new maritime surveillance initiative at Sea Dragon 2027, and a maritime domain awareness symposium in early 2027.
Technology and business
The ministers agreed to start an effort to identify chokepoints in semiconductor and AI hardware supply chains before they cause disruption.
They also committed to work on trusted 5G and 6G networks and announced the first Quad Business Leaders' Forum, with Quad export credit agencies meeting in Tokyo on November 18.
Disaster response
The ministers offered condolences for the flash floods of August 26 and recognised India's role as first responder in Nepal, with support from all Quad countries.
Australia, Japan and the United States will send observers to India's annual humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercise in November, the statement said.
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