AI for Venture Capital: 2026 Operating Playbook

• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has given South Korea the largest growth outlook upgrade among the world's 30 major economies. • This upward revision is primarily driven by a massive boom in semiconductors fueled by the global surge in artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

• India's IT sector is projected to report a muted June quarter due to AI-driven pricing pressures, delayed client spending, and geopolitical instability. • Growth is further hindered by increasing competition from Global Capability Centres (GCCs), which are challenging traditional outsourcing models.

• The $2 trillion global cryptocurrency market faces a growing security threat as quantum computing and AI breakthroughs accelerate the timeline for hackers to break current blockchain encryption. • In response to these risks, U.S. President Donald Trump recently issued executive orders aimed at strengthening the quantum capabilities of the United States.

• The Chinese government is reportedly considering restrictions on overseas access to advanced AI models developed by domestic tech giants like Alibaba and ByteDance. • This move treats frontier AI software as a critical national asset, echoing concerns from state media and cybersecurity expert Zhou Hongyi regarding the need for a domestic "Mythos."

• US lawmakers are considering new restrictions to limit the adoption of Chinese-developed artificial intelligence models by American companies. • The House Committee on Homeland Security and the Select Committee on China launched a joint investigation in April to assess the risks of this tech integration.

• Kaspersky reports that Malaysian businesses are facing increased cybersecurity risks driven by the adoption of AI tools, poor password management, and the prevalence of hybrid work models. • The report highlights that these vulnerabilities create critical gaps in workplace security, making organizations more susceptible to data breaches and cyberattacks.

• The IMF reports that top AI hardware exporters, including South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Thailand, outperformed growth forecasts by an average of 4.4 percentage points in Q1. • South Korea saw significant success, with an annualized growth rate of 7.5%—over four times the 1.8% projection—as semiconductor exports offset high energy costs.

• A recent survey reveals that 86% of CEOs in Singapore believe their positions are at risk if their company's artificial intelligence (AI) strategies fail. • The data highlights a high level of pressure on top executives to successfully integrate AI into their business operations to remain competitive.

• China is currently reviewing new restrictions on overseas access to its artificial intelligence models while accelerating the development of domestic inference semiconductors. • This shift threatens the current strategy of international firms, particularly Korean companies, who have relied on utilizing inexpensive Chinese AI services.

• South Korea's digital industry revenue grew 9.3% year-on-year to reach 1,378 trillion won in 2024, fueled largely by the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence. • A government survey revealed that national digital maturity has increased to 75.4%, reflecting a broader systemic shift toward digitalization.

• The UN AI for Good Commission held its inaugural meeting in Geneva, while the White House is preparing to release a new AI framework. • Meta announced 8,000 job cuts as Mark Zuckerberg admitted AI agent development stalled for four months; meanwhile, China will ban AI companions by July 15.