Latin America and Europe are bystanders in the US-China AI race, says Lula’s top adviser
Brazil’s top foreign policy adviser, Celso Amorim, stated at a Rio conference that Latin America and Europe are excluded from the US-China AI competition, which centers on rare earths and data control. He argued Brazil must leverage BRICS and Global South alliances to balance relations with both powers without aligning exclusively with either side.
Brazil’s former foreign and defense minister Celso Amorim warned that Latin America and Europe are passive observers in the escalating US-China artificial intelligence rivalry, which revolves around access to rare earth minerals and data sovereignty. Speaking at the Forte de Copacabana International Security Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Amorim emphasized that the AI race has solidified into a two-nation contest, with the US and China setting the technological and regulatory pace. He highlighted that the gap between these two powers will deepen existing asymmetries, as AI amplifies influence and control. Amorim proposed Brazil’s solution lies in avoiding alignment with either bloc, instead capitalizing on BRICS and Global South partnerships to maintain a neutral yet strategic position. The US-China tensions over AI were further underscored by recent developments: Trump’s May visit to Beijing, where AI chips and critical minerals dominated discussions, yielded no major breakthroughs. Meanwhile, the US restricted Nvidia’s H200 chips to select Chinese firms and tightened national security rules for AI companies through an executive order, while China advanced its own global governance proposal for AI. Amorim framed Brazil’s approach as one of balancing engagement with both superpowers, using economic and technological ties to avoid isolation. His remarks reflect growing concerns in the Global South about being marginalized in a technology-driven geopolitical struggle where rare earths and data emerge as critical leverage points.
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