FTC launches AI inquiry into Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft, looking at 'investments and partnerships'

The Federal Trade Commission said Thursday it will conduct an extensive study on the artificial intelligence field's biggest heavyweights, including Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft, Anthropic and OpenAI.

FTC Chair Lina Khan announced the inquiry during the agency's tech summit on AI, describing it as a "market inquiry into the investments and partnerships being formed between AI developers and major cloud service providers."

By invoking its authority to conduct a so-called 6(b) study — named for Section 6(b) of the FTC Act — the regulator can look into the AI companies separately from its law enforcement arm and make civil investigative demands. For example, the agency can order companies to file specific reports and answer questions in writing about their businesses.

"At the FTC, the rapid development and deployment of AI is informing our work across the agency," Khan said. "There's no AI exemption from the laws on the books, and we're looking closely at the ways companies may be using their power to thwart competition or trick the public."

"We hope the FTC's study will shine a bright light on companies that don't offer the openness of Google Cloud or have a long history of locking-in customers – and who are bringing that same approach to AI services," a Google spokesperson said in a statement.

"Partnerships between independent companies like Microsoft and OpenAI, as well as among many others, are promoting competition and accelerating innovation," Rima Alaily, corporate VP of Microsoft's competition and market regulation group, told CNBC in a statement. "We look forward to providing the FTC with the information it needs to complete its study." 

Amazon and OpenAI both declined to comment. Anthropic didn't immediately respond to