UK watchdog drops competition review of Microsoft’s OpenAI partnership
by Dan Milmo Global technology editor from Technology | The Guardian on (#6VPY6)
CMA says tie-up does not qualify for an official investigation under Britain's merger control regime
The UK's competition watchdog will not hold a formal investigation into Microsoft's partnership with the startup behind the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT, stating that while the $2.9tn (2.3tn) tech company has material influence" over OpenAI it does not control it.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said Microsoft, OpenAI's biggest financial backer with a $13bn investment, acquired material influence over the San Francisco-based business in 2019 but did not exercise de facto control over it - and therefore did not meet the threshold for an official inquiry.
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