Google Faces EU Antitrust Probe Over AI Content Use

The European Union has initiated an antitrust investigation into Google's use of online content for its AI models. The European Commission is examining whether Google has breached competition rules by using web publishers' content for AI services without compensation, raising concerns of unfair competitive advantage.

The European Union's regulators have launched a fresh antitrust investigation targeting Google's use of online content for its artificial intelligence models and services. This comes after the European Commission, the 27-nation bloc's leading antitrust authority, raised concerns about Google's potential breach of competition rules.

At the center of the examination is Google's use of content from web publishers and uploaded material from YouTube in two search services: AI Overviews and AI Mode. These features provide users with AI-generated summaries and chatbot-style answers, respectively, without compensating publishers or giving them an opt-out option.

This investigation also scrutinizes whether similar practices on YouTube are disadvantaging rival AI model developers. The inquiry, part of the EU's established competition regulations, seeks to ensure that technological advancements don't undermine societal principles and market fairness. Google maintains that any hindrance could stifle innovation in an increasingly competitive market.

(With inputs from agencies.)