Google is facing another legal challenge — and now, in the United Kingdom

UK antitrust authorities are investigating Google’s investment of up to $2 billion in artificial intelligence startup Anthropic. Information from Wall Street Journal.

The investigation follows the approval of a similar partnership between Amazon and Anthropic, highlighting growing regulatory scrutiny over the big tech’s practices.

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched a preliminary review in July and will now launch a merger investigation, with a decision expected on December 19.

Google is trying to strengthen its position in the intense race for artificial intelligence, especially to face competition from giants like Microsoft and OpenAI.

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Anthropic, founded by former OpenAI employees, is seeking major investment to develop its AI assistant called Claude, and has already received $4 billion from Amazon.

• The move by British authorities comes amid increasing scrutiny of partnerships and investments in AI by big tech companies.
• The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has also launched a comprehensive investigation into AI partnerships.
• The investigation includes Google, Amazon, Anthropic, Microsoft and OpenAI, with orders for these companies to provide detailed information about their investments in AI startups.

The CMA investigation marks a setback for Google, whose ties to artificial intelligence startups have come under intense scrutiny on both sides of the Atlantic, potentially affecting future strategies and investments in the sector.