OpenAI raises antitrust concerns with EU over Google's AI dominance
What's the story
OpenAI has expressed its concerns to the European Commission over competition in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry, particularly against Google's dominance. The company highlighted the difficulties of competing with established players and called for regulatory measures to ensure fair market practices. This comes as OpenAI's video-generation tool Sora has crossed one million downloads within just five days of its late-September debut.
Regulatory request
Concerns about competition
During a meeting with EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera on September 24, OpenAI raised concerns about the challenges it faces in competing against entrenched technology giants. The company also urged regulators to take action against the risk of large platforms locking users into their ecosystems. These requests highlight OpenAI's belief that regulatory intervention may be necessary to ensure fair competition in the AI industry.
Market performance
Sora's rapid success
Sora, OpenAI's video-generation tool, has been downloaded over 1 million times in just five days since its late-September launch. Bill Peebles, head of Sora, confirmed the milestone on X. The surge in downloads comes shortly after Sora 2, a short-video version of the app, topped Apple's App Store charts on October 3. Notably, this was achieved despite being invite-only and only available to users in the US and Canada.
Regulatory alignment
Alignment of OpenAI's messages
OpenAI has confirmed that its arguments to EU authorities last month were in line with its public stance on competition in the AI space, particularly regarding Google. The company stressed that these arguments are consistent with its ongoing dialogue about fair competition, especially as antitrust probes into companies like Google intensify. This alignment of private and public messaging underlines OpenAI's commitment to transparency about its competitive concerns.
User mobility
Recommendations for user mobility and competition
OpenAI has requested the European Commission to prevent dominant platforms from using tactics that could discourage user mobility or lock-in. This recommendation highlights practices where users may find it difficult to switch services or benefit from competing offerings, which could limit innovation and consumer choice across the AI landscape. The company's direct appeal shows the challenges new AI companies face when established firms enjoy significant market advantages and existing user bases.
Ongoing inquiry
Ongoing investigation into tech platforms' AI push
OpenAI also noted that the European Commission is already investigating how large, vertically integrated platforms may be extending their market dominance into the AI sector. The company said that the Commission was looking into how such platforms were leveraging existing market positions to incorporate AI, including by examining specific intercompany agreements. This ongoing regulatory review indicates that authorities are aware of the complexities arising from traditional tech dominance and new AI capabilities.