Trends
EU antitrust regulators investigate Google and Samsung’s AI deal
OUR TAKE EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager sent questionnaires in March to Microsoft, Google, Meta, Facebook, TikTok, and other large tech companies involved in AI collaboration. Previously, Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI sidestepped EU merger rules, and she expressed concern that …
Headline
OUR TAKE EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager sent questionnaires in March to Microsoft, Google, Meta, Facebook, TikTok, and other large tech companies involved in AI collaboration. Previously, Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI sidestepped EU merger rules, and she…
Context
OUR TAKE EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager sent questionnaires in March to Microsoft, Google, Meta, Facebook, TikTok, and other large tech companies involved in AI collaboration. Previously, Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI sidestepped EU merger rules, and she expressed concern that big tech companies were preventing smaller AI developers from reaching users and businesses. –Zora Lin, BTW reporter EU antitrust regulators are asking industry players whether Google ‘s multi-year deal with Samsung to generate AI will hinder chatbot rivals on Samsung’s smartphones, according to an EU document seen by Reuters.
Evidence
Pending intelligence enrichment.
Analysis
European Commission says last month it ask for information to better understand the impact of the deal, which enables Samsung to embed Google’s Gemini Nano in its Galaxy S24 series smartphones. The questionnaire asks whether pre-installation of Gemini Nano via device or cloud limits the number of other generative AI systems that may be pre-installed on the same device. Regulators also want to know if pre-installing Gemini Nano will limit interoperability between other chatbots and apps pre-installed on Samsung smartphones. Respondents are asked if they have tried and failed to reach an agreement with a device manufacturer to pre-install a chatbot, and details the reasons for their refusal.
Key Points
- EU antitrust regulators asks industry players whether Google’s deal with Samsung to AI is hampering rival chatbots on Samsung’s smartphones.
- If EU antitrust enforcers find any anti-competitive conduct, this could help the EU antitrust enforcers bring cases against the companies.
Actions
Pending intelligence enrichment.
