US probes Microsoft, OpenAI, and Nvidia over artificial intelligence plans

Under the deal, the justice department will take the lead in investigating whether Nvidia violated antitrust laws, while the FTC will examine the conduct of OpenAI and Microsoft. Picture: Michael Dwyer

The US Justice Department and the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have reached a deal that allows them to proceed with investigations into the dominant roles Microsoft, OpenAI, and Nvidia play in the artificial intelligence industry (AI), according to a source familiar with the matter.

Under the deal, the justice department will take the lead in investigating whether Nvidia violated antitrust laws, while the FTC will examine the conduct of OpenAI and Microsoft. While OpenAI’s parent is a nonprofit, Microsoft has invested $13bn (€12bn) in a for-profit subsidiary, for what would be a 49% stake. The partnership is also under informal scrutiny in other regions.