US Government Considers Investigation Of OpenAI And Microsoft On Alleged Antitrust Law Violations

The United States Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) consider which institutions can investigate OpenAI on the basis of antitrust law.

JAKARTA - The United States Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) consider which institution can investigate OpenAI on the basis of antitrust law. This includes its partnership with Microsoft. This was reported by Politico on Friday, January 19, citing three sources familiar with the matter.

The collaboration between Microsoft and ChatGPT maker OpenAI has attracted attention to antitrust after the US software giant committed to investing more than $10 billion into OpenAI last year.

European Union antitrust regulators, earlier this month, noted that Microsoft's investment in OpenAI may have been inspected under EU merger regulations, following a similar warning given by British antitrust regulators in December.

The FTC started talks with DOJ (Legal Department) a few months ago to determine which agency could review the matter, but the two agencies were not willing to give up their jurisdictions.

The talks are mostly limited to Microsoft and OpenAI and are not part of a broader dialogue over which institution will investigate issues of artificial intelligence.

Microsoft declined to comment when contacted by the media. A Justice Department spokesman also declined to comment.

"Our joint clarification process with the DOJ went smoothly, and this allows the two agencies to effectively use their resources to protect American consumers from rising prices and unfair competition," said an FTC spokesman, quoted by VOI from Politico.

The Washington Post also reported in July last year that the FTC had opened an investigation to determine whether OpenAI had violated consumer protection laws, citing a copy of a request for footage.