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Google is reportedly facing an antitrust probe over its Character.AI deal.

The Verge

The Verge · 3m ago

Google is reportedly facing an antitrust probe over its Character.AI deal.

The U.S. Justice Department is reportedly investigating Google over an antitrust issue related to its deal with Character.AI. The probe focuses on whether Google structured the agreement to avoid regulatory scrutiny, as no exchange of shares was involved, despite investors expecting a payout. Google has stated that it will cooperate with regulatory inquiries and clarified that it has no ownership stake in Character.AI, maintaining it as a separate entity.

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Google in talks to invest in AI startup Character.AI

Economic Times

Economic Times · 1y ago

Google in talks to invest in AI startup Character.AI

Google is reportedly in discussions to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in Character.AI, an artificial intelligence chatbot startup. This investment would strengthen the existing partnership between the two companies and help Character.AI meet the growing demand for its services. Character.AI allows users to chat with virtual celebrities and create their own chatbots and AI assistants. The company is also in talks to raise equity funding that could value it at over $5 billion.

YouTube critics ask US to probe video site's 'living room dominance'

Economic Times

Economic Times · 1y ago

YouTube critics ask US to probe video site's 'living room dominance'

Tech and competition watchdog groups are urging the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate YouTube over concerns about its potential to dominate the home entertainment market. The groups argue that YouTube's growth as a cable and streaming service competitor, along with its pre-installation on smartphones and TVs, could give Google and Alphabet an unfair advantage. YouTube is already a top streaming service in the U.S., and its subscription streaming service, YouTube TV, is seen as a threat to competitors. Google is already facing antitrust lawsuits related to its dominance in online search and digital advertising technology.

Microsoft-OpenAI's $13-bn deal to avoid formal EU probe: Reports

Reuters

Reuters · 1y ago

Microsoft-OpenAI's $13-bn deal to avoid formal EU probe: Reports

Microsoft's $13 billion investment into Sam Altman-led OpenAI could avoid a formal probe by the European Union's antitrust regulator, Reuters and Bloomberg reported. The European Commission reportedly doesn't see the deal as an acquisition that gives Microsoft control over the AI startup. A probe could have forced the companies to break the partnership.

Character AI lays off at least 5% of its staff

Economic Times

Economic Times · 1y ago

Character AI lays off at least 5% of its staff

Chatbot startup Character.AI has reportedly laid off around 5% of its workforce, mainly in marketing and recruiting departments. The company is refocusing its efforts to build personalized AI products and has signed a licensing agreement with Google for its language model technology. Character.AI had previously raised $193 million in venture capital and was in talks to secure additional funding from Google. The exact number of employees affected by the layoffs has not been disclosed.

Another Google antitrust battle reaches court in Epic Games case

Economic Times

Economic Times · 1y ago

Another Google antitrust battle reaches court in Epic Games case

Google is facing another legal battle as Epic Games takes the company to court over an antitrust lawsuit. Epic Games claims that Google is violating antitrust laws by using its dominant power over app developers on the Google Play Store. The game developer had tried to circumvent the Play Store's fees by allowing direct in-app purchases, prompting Google to remove Fortnite from the store. If Epic Games is successful, Google could be forced to change its Play Store rules and allow competing app stores. These lawsuits add to the challenges Google faces as regulators and competitors target its influence in the tech industry.

Google takes another startup out of the AI race

The Verge

The Verge · 3m ago

Google takes another startup out of the AI race

Google has acquired the AI leadership team from Character.AI, including its co-founders Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas, who initially left Google due to its bureaucracy. The team will join Google DeepMind, influencing Google's AI endeavors. Although no shares change hands, Google's deal values Character.AI at $2.5 billion, compensating investors and employees accordingly. This move exemplifies Big Tech's strategy to consolidate the AI industry. Character.AI's future remains uncertain for its 140 other employees.

Google hires top talent from startup Character AI, signs licensing deal

Economic Times

Economic Times · 1y ago

Google hires top talent from startup Character AI, signs licensing deal

Character.AI has signed a deal with Google, granting the search engine giant a non-exclusive license to the chatbot maker's language model technology. Co-founders Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas will rejoin Google as part of the agreement. This follows similar deals struck by Microsoft and Amazon, raising concerns among regulators about the consolidation of AI deals by tech giants. Character.AI will receive additional funding as part of the deal, although the exact amount has not been disclosed. Dominic Perella, the startup's general counsel, will take over as interim CEO.

Microsoft's OpenAI partnership could face EU antitrust probe, sources say

Livemint

Livemint · 1y ago

Microsoft's OpenAI partnership could face EU antitrust probe, sources say

Microsoft's investment of $13 billion in OpenAI could face an antitrust investigation from the European Union (EU), as regulators are gathering evidence to determine if the partnership restricts competition within the EU internal market or if Microsoft's market power distorts the market through certain practices. The EU antitrust regulator has reportedly decided not to investigate the partnership under EU merger rules but may still opt for an antitrust investigation. Microsoft has a non-voting position on the OpenAI board and claims no ownership of the ChatGPT maker. The investigation is still in its early stages and no decision has been made.

Google seeks to cut ties with Apple’s Safari amid DOJ Antitrust probe: Report

Livemint

Livemint · 1y ago

Google seeks to cut ties with Apple’s Safari amid DOJ Antitrust probe: Report

The US Justice Department is investigating Google's relationship with Apple as part of an antitrust case. The focus of the investigation is on the substantial payments made by Google to Apple, estimated at over $20 billion annually, to secure its position as the default search engine on iPhones. This arrangement is believed to restrict competition in the search engine industry. Google has been working to reduce its reliance on Apple's Safari browser in anticipation of the case outcome, but persuading users to switch to Google's apps has been challenging.

India orders antitrust probe into Google's app store billing practices

TechCrunch · 1y ago

India orders antitrust probe into Google's app store billing practices

India's antitrust regulator, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), has ordered an investigation into Google for allegedly abusing its dominant position in the country's online market. The CCI's order came in response to a complaint filed by Indian app developers and industry groups, accusing Google of imposing unfair terms and discriminatory practices on its app store. The regulator alleges that Google violated several provisions of India's antitrust law by charging excessive and unfair service fees from app developers and implementing policies in a discriminatory manner. This investigation adds to Google's existing legal challenges in India, where it faces allegations of anti-competitive practices.

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