UK probes Amazon partnership with AI firm Anthropic

LONDON — Britain's competition regulator recently said it had launched an inquiry into a partnership between US e-commerce giant Amazon and Anthropic, an American developer of artificial intelligence.

The move comes after the Competition and Markets Authority in April said it was examining tie-ups between artificial intelligence firms and their US big tech partners Amazon and Microsoft.

Action by the CMA follows similar examinations by regulators in the United States and European Union.

In a statement Friday, the British regulator said it was considering whether the Amazon-Anthropic partnership "has resulted, or may be expected to result, in a substantial lessening of competition within any market or markets in the United Kingdom for goods or services".

This follows Amazon's investment of up to $4 billion in Anthropic, which is developing a rival to ChatGPT-style AI chatbot.

Amazon hit out at the decision, saying in a separate statement that its "collaboration with Anthropic does not raise any competition concerns or meet the CMA's own threshold for review".

It added: "By investing in Anthropic, Amazon, along with other companies, is helping Anthropic expand choice and competition in this important technology."

Anthropic insisted it was "an independent company", while promising to "cooperate with the CMA and provide them with a comprehensive understanding of Amazon's investment and our commercial collaboration".