UK antitrust regulator to probe Microsoft and Amazon's AI deals

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The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an investigation into a number of recent artificial intelligence-related deals by Microsoft and Amazon. The regulator fears they could disrupt competition in the AI market.

Here's What We Know

Microsoft's partnership with French startup Mistral AI, the hiring of key employees from Inflection AI, and Amazon's $4bn investment in Anthropic have all come under the CMA's scrutiny.

The British watchdog has requested comments from third parties to determine whether an in-depth antitrust investigation into the deals is needed.

Microsoft said it would provide all the necessary information, but considers it common practice to hire specialists and partially invest in AI companies.

Earlier, the corporation teamed up with Mistral AI and OpenAI (creator of ChatGPT), as well as hired top managers of DeepMind and Inflection AI.

Mistral AI has reiterated its willingness to work with CMA to ensure independence in the marketplace.

Amazon, meanwhile, has earmarked billions to buy a minority stake in Anthropic, with which it is collaborating on base models for generative AI. The company noted the unprecedented nature of validating such a partnership.

Source: TechXplore