EU initiates antitrust investigation into Google's artificial intelligence search features

EU Scrutinizes Google Over AI and Competition Practices

While leading American tech companies and industry figures voice concerns about the European Union’s approach to regulating technology and artificial intelligence, the EU remains vigilant about competition issues. The European Commission has initiated a probe to determine if Google has violated the bloc’s competition regulations by utilizing website content in its AI-generated summaries—displayed above search results—without compensating the original content owners.

The investigation will also assess whether Google’s AI summaries incorporate YouTube videos to formulate answers. Authorities are examining if Google is undermining fair competition in the AI sector by leveraging exclusive access to online content and enforcing what they describe as “unjust terms and conditions” on publishers and creators.

According to a statement from the Commission, the inquiry will focus on the extent to which Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode rely on material from web publishers without offering fair payment or allowing publishers to opt out without losing their visibility on Google Search.

The main products under scrutiny are Google’s AI Overview and AI Mode. The Commission points out that Google, as a dominant source of web traffic, gives content creators little choice: it does not compensate them for using their work and restricts YouTube uploads unless creators permit Google to utilize their data.

Another area of concern for the EU is Google’s policy of preventing competing AI firms from accessing YouTube content to train their own artificial intelligence systems.

In response, a Google spokesperson stated, “This complaint threatens to hinder innovation in an increasingly competitive market. Europeans should have access to the latest technological advancements, and we remain committed to collaborating with the news and creative sectors as they adapt to the AI age.”

This investigation unfolds amid a wave of lawsuits against AI developers and platforms by publishers and websites alleging copyright violations. For example, the AI search company Perplexity is currently facing legal action from several organizations, including The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, News Corp, New York Post, Merriam-Webster, Nikkei, and Reddit.

Unlike these lawsuits, which often serve as leverage for negotiating licensing agreements and securing compensation for content creators, the EU’s inquiry aims to ensure a fairer competitive environment for AI companies vying with Google. Reports suggest that Google’s vast reach allows it to train its AI on a broader swath of internet content than its competitors.

Despite ongoing criticism of its AI regulatory framework, the EU is considering streamlining its rules and has proposed postponing the enforcement of certain regulations related to high-risk AI applications.