The FTC earlier this year sent a letter to Amazon, as well as Microsoft and Google, requiring the companies to explain the impacts their investments in startups such as Anthropic have on the competitive landscape of generative AI. Google has also invested in Anthropic, having poured $2 billion into the company late last October and taken a 10% stake, while Microsoft is a major OpenAI backer.
The U.K.’s competition regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority, which has also opened several inquiries into big tech tie-ups with AI firms, recently okayed Alphabet’s partnership and investment in Anthropic after giving Amazon’s deal last year the green light.