The DOJ initially wanted Google to divest from AI products that could compete with search, but later required Google to notify officials before making AI investments. Google holds a significant minority stake in Anthropic, and losing it could advantage OpenAI. Judge Mehta is set to hear arguments on proposed solutions in late April. The DOJ claims Google's conduct has created an economic giant that dominates the market, while Google insists it should not need to make significant changes to address the judge's concerns.
Key takeaways:
- The DOJ demands that Google be broken up but drops the proposal for Google to sell its AI investments in companies like OpenAI and Anthropic.
- Google disagrees with the DOJ's proposals and plans to appeal the decision, arguing it would harm consumers, the economy, and national security.
- Judge Amit P. Mehta previously ruled that Google maintained an illegal monopoly in online search, and the DOJ seeks further measures, including the sale of Google's Chrome browser.
- The DOJ now requires Google to notify federal and state officials before making AI investments, rather than divesting its stakes in AI companies.