Meta is restricting its engineers’ use of rival AI tools like Claude Code and Codex to prevent their outputs from being used in Meta’s own training data, a practice known as distillation. The company is building its own coding assistant, MetaCode, and wants to reduce its reliance on outside tools due to rising costs. Meta has clear rules for using AI tools responsibly, and engineers are barred from using AI outputs for certain tasks, requiring human review instead. This move highlights the growing concern over distillation in the AI industry, where companies are trying to protect their intellectual property. Why it matters: this development underscores the increasing competition and tension in the AI landscape, as companies navigate the risks and benefits of collaborating with and using rival AI models.