The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced an increased focus on competition within the AI field. Government officials unveiled the initiative and highlighted a workshop scheduled to be held at Stanford University on May 30th.
Susan Asay, Chief Economist of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division, revealed upcoming events during a briefing. bloomberg Roundtables highlight the participation of industry leaders, researchers, and government officials. The development comes as the Biden administration is vigorously pursuing antitrust lawsuits against tech giants including Alphabet Inc.'s Google, Amazon, and Metaplatform.
According to the workshop, bloomberg The report aims to foster dialogue among stakeholders on important issues surrounding competition in the AI field. Prominent speakers scheduled to speak include DeepLearning.AI founder Andrew Ng and representatives from US and UK government agencies.
Related: Big tech companies ask EU not to regulate artificial general intelligence
Of particular concern to antitrust enforcement authorities is the interdependence of major AI startups on established technology giants for both financial and infrastructure support. Recent investments totaling billions of dollars by Microsoft, Amazon, and Google highlight the magnitude of this problem. Microsoft's staggering $13 billion investment in ChatGPT developer OpenAI has come under intense scrutiny, especially after the uproar over the firing and subsequent reinstatement of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman last November. It has become.
The deepening relationship between Microsoft and OpenAI has raised eyebrows in the United States and beyond, drawing the attention of antitrust regulators in the United Kingdom and the European Union. The Federal Trade Commission said in January that it was investigating Microsoft's investments, along with similar financial activities by Amazon and Alphabet.
Additionally, the Department of Justice revealed that it has opened multiple investigations into competitive dynamics within the AI field, including an investigation into possible violations of U.S. antitrust laws. One area of focus is investigating whether AI companies employ shared executives or directors that could stifle competition and innovation.
Source: Bloomberg
