European Union will also investigate Microsoft’s OpenAI investments

The European Union’s market regulator will investigate the partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI. The relationship between ChatGPT’s owner and the tech giant is currently the target of a similar operation in the UK.

The aim of the study is the same as the analysis currently carried out by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The group intends Find out if the closeness between the two companies is sufficient for a merger.

The European Commission’s investigation was announced this Tuesday (9) and continues in the early stages of production. For now, only public consultations will be held to seek input, with a phase open until 11 March 2024.

Is the partnership between OpenAI and Microsoft under threat?

The alliance between OpenAI and Microsoft has been going on for a long time. The company that owns Windows is one of the main investors that owns ChatGPT and has made three different cash injections into the company since 2019.

The last investment round with the participation of Microsoft took place in early 2023. approximately 10 billion US dollars referenced. In return, the company participation in the profitable part of the brand This Uses the GPT-4 language model In artificial intelligence services such as the Copilot platform.

Microsoft’s frequent and intense involvement in OpenAI affairs became even more evident in November last year. This was the period when CEO Sam Altman was fired by the board and hired by Microsoft itself days later, only to quickly reinstate him after pressure from employees.

From that moment on, Microsoft also “careful part” This actually strengthens the clues that the giant owns OpenAI without making the actual purchase.

At the current stage of the investigation, relevant companies and subject matter experts have been invited to discuss competitive issues in the artificial intelligence market.

“Virtual worlds and generative artificial intelligence are developing rapidly. It is crucial that these new markets remain competitive and that nothing stands in the way of business growth and offering consumers the best and most innovative products,” says Margrethe Vestager, vice-president of the European Commission.