The investigation will examine how these partnerships influence the operations of AI startups and the strategic rationale behind each investment. The FTC's action follows the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority, which started officially investigating Microsoft and OpenAI’s relationship in December. The companies involved have 45 days to respond to the FTC’s order.
Key takeaways:
- The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched an inquiry into the AI deals of OpenAI, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, and Anthropic, with a focus on the partnerships and investments these companies have with AI startups.
- Three specific multi-billion dollar partnerships are under scrutiny: Microsoft and OpenAI, Amazon and Anthropic, and Google and Anthropic.
- The inquiry will examine how these partnerships influence the operations of AI startups, the strategic rationale behind each investment, and whether these deals have allowed the tech giants to exert undue influence over the startups.
- This is the first step from the FTC in formally investigating these companies, and the findings will be used to determine if any further action is needed. The companies have 45 days to respond to the FTC’s order.