October 24, 2024: CMA Probes Alphabets Anthropic Investment - The U.K.s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating Alphabets investment in AI startup Anthropic, following a reported $300 million and subsequent $2 billion investment. This probe is part of efforts to address concerns about quasi-mergers, where big tech firms gain influence over startups. Unlike Amazons $4 billion investment in Anthropic, the CMA views Alphabets involvement as potentially harmful to competition. Google maintains that Anthropic can use multiple cloud providers without exclusive rights. The CMA will decide by December 19, 2024, whether to proceed to a more detailed investigation.
