Faces EU Antitrust Scrutiny Over AI Content Use
The European Union’s top antitrust enforcer, the European Commission, has launched an investigation into Google’s use of online content for its artificial intelligence models and services. The probe, which was announced on Tuesday, centers on whether Google has breached competition rules by scraping content from web publishers and YouTube without paying or giving them the option to opt out.
Details
The investigation, which is being carried out under the EU’s longstanding competition regulations, aims to determine whether Google has given itself an unfair advantage over rival AI model developers by imposing unfair terms and conditions. The Commission is also examining whether Google uses videos uploaded to YouTube to train its generative AI models, while shutting out rival developers.
Google’s use of content for two search services, AI Overviews and AI Mode, has raised concerns among regulators. AI Overviews provide automatically generated summaries at the top of traditional search results, while AI Mode offers chatbot-style answers to search queries. Regulators are concerned that Google’s use of content without permission or compensation could stifle innovation in the AI market.
Background
This is not the first time Google has faced antitrust scrutiny in the EU. Last week, the Commission opened an investigation into WhatsApp’s AI policy, and it has also fined Elon Musk’s social media platform X 120 million euros ($140 million) for breaching digital regulations. The Commission has denied that it is singling out American Big Tech companies, stating that its focus is on possible illegal behavior and harm to competition and consumers within the European Union.
Next Steps
Google will have the opportunity to respond to the concerns raised by the Commission. The investigation could result in sanctions, including a fine worth up to 10% of Google’s annual global revenue. The Commission has informed U.S. authorities about the investigation and has no deadline to wrap up the case.
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