The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has intensified its scrutiny of major tech players’ involvement in AI startups, targeting Microsoft and Amazon in particular. The CMA is examining Microsoft’s investment in Mistral and the hiring of Mustafa Suleyman, DeepMind’s co-founder, for its new AI division.
Similarly, it scrutinises Amazon’s $4 billion investment in Anthropic. These moves have raised concerns about potential monopolistic control and stifling competition, prompting the CMA to solicit comments and potentially launch formal investigations. Joel Bamford, CMA’s executive director of mergers, emphasised an impartial assessment of these deals and their impact on UK competition.
