Microsoft faces FTC investigation for its relation with OpenAI, Google, Amazon to be investigated too

Alphabet, Amazon, and Microsoft are facing scrutiny from the US Federal Trade Commission regarding their investments and partnerships with artificial intelligence startups Anthropic and OpenAI. The FTC, an antitrust and consumer protection agency, issued subpoenas to gather information, focusing on over $19 billion in investments made by Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet’s Google. She asserted, “There is no AI exemption from the laws on the books.” While Google clarified that it does not have exclusive rights to Anthropic’s technology, Microsoft defended its collaborations with OpenAI, highlighting its contribution to promoting competition and accelerating innovation. Microsoft has recently revamped its products around AI tools powered by OpenAI’s technology, while Google plans to integrate its powerful language model, Gemini, into its experimental search tool. The European Commission is also examining agreements between digital market players and generative AI developers, while the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority announced a probe into Microsoft and OpenAI’s partnership in December.