The UK CMA is considering an antitrust investigation into Microsoft and OpenAI's partnership, and is taking comments until January 3 before making a decision
Update Paul Thurrott / Thurrott : UK CMA and US FTC Are Investigating Microsoft's Partnership with OpenAI (UPDATED) Devesh Beri / MSPoweruser : Microsoft's investment in OpenAI faces antitrust scrutiny from US and UK regulators Steve Goldstein / MarketWatch : Is Microsoft in control of OpenAI? U.K. regulator seeks to find out. Paul Kunert / The Register : Microsoft's relationship with OpenAI now in competition regulator's sights Martin Peers / The Information : Regulators Scrutinize Microsoft-OpenAI Partnership; Shein's IPO Hurdles The Hill : Microsoft, OpenAI face scrutiny in UK Maria Deutscher / SiliconANGLE : Microsoft-OpenAI partnership draws antitrust scrutiny in the UK and US Ryan Browne / CNBC : Microsoft's investment in OpenAI faces initial review from UK competition regulator CIO Dive : UK regulators launch inquiry into OpenAI, Microsoft partnership Ramish Zafar / Wccftech : More Trouble Brews For Microsoft As FTC Allegedly Starts Inquiring Into OpenAI Investment John Callaham / Neowin : The FTC is reportedly looking into the Microsoft-OpenAI partnership Foo Yun Chee / Reuters : Microsoft's role in OpenAI on EU antitrust regulators' radar David Perera / DeviceSecurity.io : UK Market Regulator Reviews Microsoft's Interest in OpenAI Rachyl Jones / Fortune : The U.K. just put Microsoft under the spotlight for its partnership with OpenAI Nils Pratley / The Guardian : Be glad UK's watchdog has its eyes on what just happened at OpenAI WHDH-TV : OpenAI saga continues as UK considers antitrust probe into its Microsoft partnership Tech Xplore : UK probes Microsoft-OpenAI partnership Sean Endicott / Windows Central : Microsoft vs. FTC II: The Wrath of Khan — the FTC once again comes for Microsoft, for gaming, and now AI too Jonathan Lamont / MobileSyrup : U.K. considering investigation of Microsoft's links to OpenAI Michael Kan / PCMag : How Much Control Does Microsoft Have Over OpenAI? The UK Wants to Know Rob Thubron / TechSpot : Microsoft faces potential antitrust probe in UK over OpenAI relationship OODA Loop : Microsoft-OpenAI Partnership Draws Scrutiny From U.K. Regulator Benson Mawira / Cryptopolitan : CMA Examines Microsoft's Investment in OpenAI Julia Tar / Euractiv : UK competition authority mulls investigating Microsoft-OpenAI partnership Maxwell Mutuma / CoinGape : UK Antitrust Body Probes Microsoft and OpenAI Collaboration PYMNTS.com : UK's CMA Looking into Whether Microsoft-OpenAI Partnership Threatens Competition Greg Noone / Tech Monitor : CMA scrutinising Microsoft's relationship with OpenAI Matthew Field / Telegraph : Microsoft faces fresh clash with Britain's competition watchdog over ChatGPT deal Amaka Nwaokocha / Cointelegraph : Microsoft faces UK antitrust probe over OpenAI deal structure Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch : Microsoft and OpenAI tie-up faces ‘relevant merger’ scrutiny by UK regulator CMA Ross Kelly / ITPro : OpenAI drama prompts CMA review into Microsoft relationship Jyoti Mann / Business Insider : Microsoft's $10 billion partnership with OpenAI faces its first big antitrust hiccup Moneycontrol : Today in AI: Europe agrees on landmark regulation; Microsoft's OpenAI investment risks scrutiny; Freshworks CEO accepts Altman's challenge City A.M. : CMA invites comments on Microsoft and OpenAI partnership impacting UK's competition Financial Times : UK and US regulators examine Microsoft's ties to OpenAI Robert Scammell / UKTN : UK examines OpenAI's links with Microsoft RTÉ : UK competition regulator reviewing Microsoft, OpenAI partnership Threads: Dare Obasanjo / @carnage4life : The UK's antitrust regulator wants to investigate whether Microsoft's relationship with OpenAI (49% ownership of the non-profit and a non-voting board seat) counts as an acquisition that should face antitrust proceedings. The CMA has requested comments from competitors. … X: Brad Smith / @bradsmi : ...The only thing that has changed is that Microsoft will now have a non-voting observer on OpenAI's Board, which is very different from an acquisition such as Google's purchase of DeepMind in the UK.... Dominic Cummings / @dominic2306 : the CMA is another blundering ignorant menace to progress & productivity, it shd be closed & everyone fired like dozens of other agencies Dina Bass / @dinabass : As regulators circle, Microsoft is arguing it doesn't have a traditional ownership stake in OpenAI. When it comes to determining if Microsoft has too much control, regulators may feel that's a distinction without a difference https://www.bloomberg.com/... by @leah_nylen and me Zach Meyers / @zach_cer : Looks like the CMA is not done picking fightswith MS. This will be legally fascinating! On paper, MS's influence on OpenAI is small. But we've seen its reliance on Microsoft's resources and essential infrastructure — and the board's inability to pick its management in practice/1 Florian Mueller / @florian4gamers : I would phrase the CMA's question differently. It's not about whether recent developments show Microsoft has de facto control over OpenAI. It's whether Sam Altman has de facto control because the team is on his side. And that's not a relevant merger situation under a UK law. Florian Mueller / @florian4gamers : The @CMAgovUK taking an interest in a Microsoft deal again. And this is not the kind of thing that would have required merger approval, but let's see where this is headed. And didn't expect to post about AI again so soon. 🤦♂️ As I mentioned, I may use a different account for it. Florian Mueller / @florian4gamers : @USNAGator91 I want Google to be very successful with those efforts because competition in that space is key, and I think very highly of Google in many (though not all) ways. It could be that Google is behind this CMA thing, that they (and/or Amazon etc.) instigated this pre-investigation. Florian Mueller / @florian4gamers : Competition enforcers are often called “trustbusters”. That's interesting in the CMA-Microsoft-OpenAI context: In the end it seems the key factor was the team trusted Sam Altman; Sam Altman and the team trusted Microsoft: and vice versa. That's trust, but not a trust to bust. Florian Mueller / @florian4gamers : Interesting reference here: so the UK was happy in 2014 to let Google acquire the UK's crown jewel in AI, and now the CMA is potentially taking issue with a relationship between two U.S. entities that is lightyears away from a merger. Florian Mueller / @florian4gamers : There we have the 3rd major regulator — the European Commission. Microsoft's role in OpenAI on EU antitrust regulators' radar https://www.reuters.com/... The fact that all three get interested still doesn't mean there's any issue here. It's a bit like with ABK: big not bad stuff. Haydn Belfield / @haydnbelfield : The CMA (UK antitrust regulator) is reviewing whether Microsoft and OpenAI's partnership counts as a *merger*! Fascinating 2 key criteria🧵: [image] Ryan Browne / @ryan_browne_ : Big news. The UK's CMA is the first regulator globally to start reviewing Microsoft's investment in and partnership with OpenAI. The CMA says it's seeking views from interest parties on whether the deal has created a “relevant merger situation.” https://www.cnbc.com/... Jeremy C. Owens / @jowens510 : A day after I detailed how little Microsoft publicly discloses about its relationship with OpenAI, multiple regulators are seeking that information. UK inquiry: https://www.marketwatch.com/ ... FTC report: https://www.bloomberg.com/... My story: https://www.marketwatch.com/ ... @cmagovuk : CMA seeks views on Microsoft's partnership with OpenAI. Read more: https://www.gov.uk/... Dina Bass / @dinabass : With CMA, FTC looking at Microsoft's OpenAI investment, worth noting the $10B investment has an unusual structure rather than a traditional ownership stake https://www.bloomberg.com/... Mark Bergen / @mhbergen : and @BradSmi was ready with a reply: “The only thing that has changed is that Microsoft will now have a non-voting observer on OpenAI's Board, which is very different from an acquisition such as Google's purchase of DeepMind in the UK.”