Consumer groups urge FTC to investigate Big Tech’s AI investments

A coalition of consumer advocacy groups is urging the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the antitrust implications of Big Tech’s recent investments in AI development companies. The groups suggest Big Tech's growing investments in AI may be an attempt to evade antitrust reviews by opting for minority stakes in AI startups instead of direct mergers, according to a Nov. 17 letter to the FTC and the Justice Department’s antitrust division.

The groups stress the historical dominance of Big Tech...