OpenAI met with European Union antitrust enforcers to raise concerns that entrenched tech platforms could dominate the emerging artificial intelligence industry. According to meeting notes dated 24 September, the company described the “difficulties” of competing with large, established firms and urged regulators to act to “avoid the lock-in of customers by large platforms.” OpenAI acknowledged the discussion and said it reiterated long-standing issues it has raised about the market power of companies like Google. The session was held with the European Commission’s antitrust group, led by Teresa Ribera, and was earlier reported by Bloomberg.
During the hybrid meeting, OpenAI highlighted pressure points in cloud computing and app development, arguing that “access to key data is essential” to preserve competition in artificial intelligence markets. People familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that OpenAI singled out Apple, Google and Microsoft as particular concerns. OpenAI told Silicon UK that its remarks mirrored an August statement issued ahead of a U.S. court decision on remedies related to Google’s illegal search monopoly case. In that statement, OpenAI warned that Google should be prevented from “using its monopoly in search to choke off competition in AI.”
Judge Amit Mehta’s decision, issued in early September, stopped short of imposing drastic measures such as asset divestitures. The ruling noted that Google faces competition from emerging artificial intelligence firms, including OpenAI, and said Google need not be barred from deals with distributors in a market where apps like OpenAI’s ChatGPT “pose a threat to the primacy of traditional internet search.” OpenAI has declined to comment on the outcome, which surprised industry analysts given the earlier finding that Google’s search business constituted an illegal monopoly.
OpenAI’s August statement cautioned that, “absent intervention, Google’s decades-old playbook – dictate default settings, impede choice, and leverage users’ data across products – will carry into the future,” potentially tilting the developing artificial intelligence landscape against smaller, innovative startups. The company’s message to European regulators echoed that warning, emphasizing platform lock-in risks and the centrality of data access as critical factors that could shape competition as artificial intelligence products and services scale across cloud and app ecosystems.
