FTC Launches Probe Into Big Tech AI Investments, Partnerships

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is launching an investigation into multiple Big Tech firms and their recent investments and partnerships involving the rapidly growing generative artificial intelligence (AI) industry, officials have announced. The regulatory agency’s probe targets Alphabet, Inc., Amazon.com, Inc., Anthropic PBC, Microsoft Corp., and OpenAI, Inc. All of the tech firms have been issued compulsory orders requiring them to hand over information regarding recent investments and partnerships involving generative AI companies and major cloud service providers, including the decision-making process behind such investments, the FTC said in a Jan. 25 press release. The agency said it plans to examine whether any of those deals harms or undermines fair competition....