Microsoft

OpenAI participation: EU waives investigation

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella (right) and OpenAI founder Sam Altman(Bild: AP)

Microsoft is apparently avoiding a formal investigation by the EU Commission into its billion-euro investment in AI developer OpenAI. The Commission has decided that the investment does not constitute a takeover and that the software company does not control the direction of OpenAI, the Bloomberg news agency reported on Wednesday, citing insiders.

OpenAI has become known for its AI chatbot ChatGPT. Microsoft has invested 13 billion US dollars in OpenAI.

The EU Commission announced in January that it would examine whether it should launch an investigation into the investment. A mutiny at OpenAI had previously uncovered close links between the two companies.

It is true that most transactions examined by the Commission are ultimately approved. However, the regulators often vetoed them if their competition concerns were not resolved within set deadlines.

"Competition promoted"
Microsoft declined to comment when asked by Bloomberg. The company merely referred to an earlier statement that the partnership with OpenAI had "fostered more AI innovation and competition while preserving the independence of both companies".

A spokesperson for the Commission said that in order to investigate possible competition concerns, the regulator would first need to establish that there had been a lasting change of control between the two companies.