According to Reuters news agency, the possibility of Microsoft being investigated regarding its $10 billion investment in OpenAI is inevitable due to concerns related to the huge amount of money this company has invested in OpenAI.
The company is facing an investigation from both UK and US regulators, the UK Competition and Markets (CMA) and the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Both agencies are considering investigating whether Microsoft violated antitrust laws.
The main issue that CMA fears is that Microsoft’s investment of up to $10 billion could turn the relationship between them and OpenAI into a form of merger cooperation, negatively affecting competition and the development of the industry. artificial intelligence field in the UK.
On the other hand, the FTC is also examining whether this violates antitrust laws in the relationship between these two companies. It is inevitable that Microsoft will be investigated regarding its $10 billion investment in OpenAI .
Microsoft has invested significantly in OpenAI since 2019, which has seen it integrate artificial intelligence into most of its core businesses. While this has put them at the forefront of the AI field, it has also created attention and concern from regulators.
The CMA’s concerns were heightened when Microsoft joined OpenAI’s board, especially after Sam Altman returned to the CEO position. Although Brad Smith, President of Microsoft, affirmed that the relationship between the two companies will promote competition and innovation in the field of artificial intelligence, without creating a monopoly.
Microsoft has stated that its role in OpenAI is only an observer and does not have the right to vote on the board of directors, unlike Google’s acquisition of DeepMind. They are also committed to working with the CMA to provide the necessary information.
Although Microsoft does not own shares in OpenAI, it enjoys a portion of the profits from this organization’s business results. This cooperation also aims to research AI that is safe and beneficial to users, as confirmed by OpenAI.
However, experts warn that although Microsoft does not have decision-making power, through participating in the board of directors, they can grasp information and have the right to influence OpenAI’s operations, from preventing block cooperation with competitors to reduce funding for research activities.
Therefore, concerns about the relationship between Microsoft and OpenAI are causing regulatory agencies to quickly investigate to assess the power balance between the two parties and consider whether there is a violation of antitrust laws. or not.