“Microsoft, OpenAI Tie-Up Comes under Antitrust Scrutiny”, 2023-12-08 (; backlinks):
Microsoft’s partnership with ChatGPT maker OpenAI is under scrutiny from antitrust regulators in the UK and the United States, according to a statement from the British regulator and a media report.
Microsoft said last month it would take a non-voting position on the board of OpenAI, following a dramatic boardroom battle that saw the sudden ouster and return of CEO and founder Sam Altman. Microsoft, which owns 49% of the for-profit subsidiary of the startup, has committed to investing more than $10 billion in OpenAI.
The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said on Friday it will review whether to launch a merger probe of Microsoft’s investment in OpenAI to see if it could hurt UK competition.
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is also examining the nature of Microsoft’s investment in OpenAI, and whether it may violate antitrust laws, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing a person familiar with the matter.