Introduction
Here are six noteworthy stories hand-picked from overseas AI news gathered on the evening of June 29, 2026. Today, a clear theme emerged: the framework of AI competition is being redrawn along national and corporate lines.
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1. Meta Restricts Use of Claude Code and Codex — Blocking the Inflow of Rival Training Data
It has come to light that Meta has moved to restrict its internal engineers' use of Anthropic's Claude Code and OpenAI's Codex. According to a report by The Decoder, the goal is to prevent code generated by these AI tools from seeping into Meta's own training data.
As competition among AI companies intensifies, the move is seen as a strategic decision to keep competitors' outputs from "contaminating" in-house model development. With tools like GitHub Copilot and Cursor now widespread, the episode underscores that for major AI companies, deciding which tools to permit internally is no longer a mere question of efficiency — it has become a critical piece of intellectual property strategy.
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2. Korea Announces AI and Semiconductor Investment Plan Exceeding $1 Trillion
The South Korean government has announced a plan to invest more than $1 trillion (roughly 150 trillion yen) in AI and semiconductors. Reported by Al Jazeera, the news marks one of the largest investment commitments ever made to a national-scale AI strategy.
South Korea is already a technology powerhouse, home to semiconductor manufacturers such as Samsung and SK Hynix, and the plan is expected to cover not just existing semiconductor manufacturing but a broad range of areas, from AI research and development to infrastructure buildout. Amid the US-China battle for technological hegemony, the move can be read as South Korea asserting itself as a "third pole."
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3. China's Z.ai Claims GLM-5.2 Matches Mythos in Cybersecurity
Chinese AI company Z.ai (Zhipu AI) has claimed that its GLM-5.2 model delivers performance on par with Anthropic's Mythos in the cybersecurity domain. Reported by The Verge, the news signals a new turn in the US-China rivalry over security applications of AI models.
Cybersecurity is one of the fields where AI models can most readily prove their practical worth. AI is already being used for vulnerability detection, threat analysis, and security log parsing. The claim that Chinese models are catching up with America's state-of-the-art models in this domain deserves attention for its security implications as well.
It is worth noting, however, that the claim comes from Z.ai itself and has yet to be verified by independent third parties.
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4. TIDAL Halts Monetization of AI-Generated Music — the Strictest Response in Music Streaming
Music streaming service TIDAL has introduced a new policy that ends the monetization of AI-generated music. According to TechCrunch, tracks flagged as AI-generated on TIDAL will be excluded from revenue distribution.
While Spotify and Apple Music have stayed ambiguous about how they handle AI music, TIDAL's stance is arguably the clearest and strictest response in the industry. It comes against a backdrop of concerns that a flood of AI-generated music threatens artists' earnings.
The move could become a precedent-setting case for a decision facing the entire platform ecosystem: how to treat AI-generated content.
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5. Deloitte Warns Internally: "AI Will Destroy Billable Hours"
An internal Deloitte presentation has leaked, revealing a forecast that "billable hours" — the consulting industry's traditional business model — will shrink dramatically at the hands of AI agents by 2035. According to The Decoder's reporting, one consultant summed it up bluntly: "Our model is finished."
McKinsey and BCG are also reported to have already begun exploring alternative revenue models. The prediction is that as AI automates work such as analysis, research, and report writing, billing models built on human working hours will simply stop functioning.
It is fair to say the business models of the knowledge industries are being called into question at their very foundation.
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6. Two Chinese Robotics Startups Reach Unicorn Status — Robotics Investment Accelerates
According to Bloomberg, two Chinese robotics startups have become unicorns valued at more than 20 billion yuan (roughly $2.9 billion) following recent funding rounds. AI² Robotics raised approximately 5 billion yuan (around $736 million), while X Square Robot, backed by Alibaba, also completed consecutive funding rounds.
China is cultivating its robotics industry at the national level to counter US robotics companies such as Tesla and Figure AI. Investment in the robotics sector has been particularly active, and in a crowded field teeming with contenders, valuations of the top players are climbing rapidly.
In robotics — the field where AI reaches the physical world — US-China competition is clearly unfolding on multiple levels, from infrastructure investment to startup valuations.
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Wrap-Up
Key trends emerging from today's news:
Walled-garden AI competition**: Meta's move to lock out rival tools shows that competition among AI companies is shifting from a pure performance race into an all-out war over data and infrastructure strategy
Nation-scale AI investment**: Korea's $1 trillion plan is evidence that the recognition of AI as central to national security and economic competitiveness has taken hold
Business model upheaval**: Deloitte's internal warning and TIDAL's AI music policy show that AI has begun shaking existing industry structures at their foundations
Robotics acceleration**: The birth of Chinese unicorns signals that AI is speeding its expansion beyond software and into the physical world
We'll be back tomorrow with the latest AI news.