US Approves AI Vendors, EU Finalizes AI Code, and South Korea Launches National AI Initiative - AI Policy Brief #30

Hi there,

Welcome to this week's edition of the AI Policy Brief, your go-to source for the latest developments in AI regulations, safety standards, and government policies worldwide. This week, we're diving into some significant updates, including South Korea's launch of a national AI initiative aimed at boosting technological advancements and economic growth. Meanwhile, the European Commission has finalized its AI Code of Practice, a move that could shape the future of AI governance across the continent.

In the United States, the reintroduction of the AI Innovation Act in Congress is making waves, with Senate Democrats expressing concerns over AI chip sales to China. Additionally, the U.S. Government is set to receive a 15% share from Nvidia and AMD sales in China, highlighting the ongoing geopolitical tensions in the tech industry. Stay tuned as we explore these stories and more in this edition.

South Korea is starting a national AI project with major corporations and startups to develop a foundational AI model using domestic technology. The initiative aims to boost competitiveness against the US and China, with five consortia selected by the Ministry of Science and ICT, including SK Telecom and LG.

AMD experienced a decline in AI datacenter revenue due to the US ban on GPU exports to China, leading to an estimated $800 million loss. The European Commission has published its final Code of Practice for general-purpose AI, effective from August 2, 2025, aligning with the EU AI Act.

Amazon's Zoox has received an exemption from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to demonstrate its driverless robotaxis, with plans to launch a ride-hailing service in Las Vegas.
Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) has issued draft AI guidelines for Québec financial institutions, focusing on risk management and ethics, with public comments open until November 7, 2025.

MIND introduced its autonomous Data Loss Prevention platform on August 6, 2025, to enhance data security across IT environments.
Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan is set to visit the White House following President Trump's resignation call, addressing national security concerns and potential collaboration.

OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic have been approved by the U.S. government as AI vendors for federal use, enhancing access to their AI services. The Thailand Government plans to invest 25 billion baht in AI development by 2027, including the establishment of nine AI Centres of Excellence. LegisIQ has launched a platform for legislative tracking, offering real-time intelligence and automated bill monitoring. Indonesia's proposed 'sovereign AI fund', managed by Danantara Indonesia, aims to make the country a regional AI hub by 2030. The South Korean government is developing an AI-driven power grid to improve electricity production and integrate renewable energy.

Anthropic announced a new AI safety framework focusing on transparency and human value alignment on August 4, 2025.
BigID launched a Data Labeling feature to help organizations manage data usage in AI models.

Yomiuri Shimbun has filed a lawsuit against Perplexity AI Inc. in Tokyo for allegedly using over 119,000 of its articles without permission.
Anthropic is facing a major copyright lawsuit in the US, with industry groups urging a court to block the class action, while a federal judge has denied its request to delay a related trial.