Google faces antitrust probe over Character.AI deal

The U.S. Justice Department is investigating Alphabet Inc.'s Google to see if it violated antitrust laws by signing a deal to use artificial intelligence (AI) technology from Character.AI.

Bloomberg News on May 23 quoted an unnamed source as saying that antitrust enforcers are looking into whether Google has built a deal with Character.AI to avoid formal government oversight during the merger.

In a deal with Google last year, the chatbot maker's founders joined the search company. Google also received a non-exclusive license to use the joint venture's technology.

The deal, like others Google has signed, is seen as an effective way for companies to apply their expertise to new projects, according to the source. However, it has attracted the attention of regulators, who are wary of large tech companies using their influence to block competition from newcomers.

In an emailed statement, Google spokesman Peter Schottenfels said the company welcomes the talent of Character.Ai, but said Google currently has no ownership stake and remains a separate company. He also stressed that Google is always ready to answer any questions from regulators./.

(Vietnam News Agency/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/google-doi-mat-voi-dieu-tra-chong-doc-quyen-ve-thoa-thuan-voi-characterai-post1040280.vnp