By Kelvin Chan, Business Writer
LONDON (AP) --British competition regulators said Wednesday they'll scrutinize recent artificial intelligence deals by Microsoft and Amazon over concerns that the moves could thwart competition in the AI industry.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it's looking into Microsoft's partnership with France's Mistral AI and the company's hiring of key staff from another startup, Inflection AI. The watchdog also separately announced that it's investigating Amazon's $4 billion investment in San Francisco-based Anthropic.
Big Tech companies have been pouring money into generative AI startups amid growing public and business interest in the technology, but the investments have also drawn attention from antitrust authorities.
The U.K. watchdog said it was seeking comments from "interested third parties," before deciding whether to carry out an in-depth antitrust investigation.
"We will assess, objectively and impartially, whether each of these three deals fall within U.K. merger rules and, if they do, whether they have any impact on competition in the U.K.," the watchdog's executive director of mergers, Joel Bamford, said in a statement.
Microsoft said it will provide the watchdog with the information it needs to carry out its inquiries.
"We remain confident that common business practices such as the hiring of talent or making a fractional investment in an AI start-up promote competition and are not the same as a merger, the company said.
Microsoft last month hired Mustafa Suleyman, who co-founded Google's DeepMind AI research lab, to head up its consumer artificial intelligence business, along with the chief scientist and several top engineers and researchers from Inflection, his AI startup.
Microsoft also teamed up earlier this year with Mistral, which has become France's AI darling after being founded only last year. That followed Microsoft's previous existing partnership with ChatGPT maker OpenAI, which is also facing scrutiny from the CMA.
Amazon, meanwhile, has spent billions for a minority stake in Anthropic. The two companies are collaborating to develop so-called foundation models, which underpin the generative AI systems that have captured global attention.
"It's unprecedented for the CMA to review a collaboration of this type," Amazon said in a statement. "Unlike partnerships between other AI startups and large technology companies, our collaboration with Anthropic includes a limited investment, doesn't give Amazon a board director or observer role, and continues to have Anthropic running its models on multiple cloud providers."
The CMA said it's stepping up its scrutiny of the market for foundation models after it published a report that highlighted the risk that powerful companies could use partnerships with key AI players to strengthen their positions.
6 recipients named for Life Achievement Awards from Society of Camera Operators
The Society of Camera Operators (SOC) has announced the recipients of the upcoming Society of Camera Operators Lifetime Achievement Awards. Recipients will be presented and honored during the SOC Awards on February 15, 2025, at the Loews Hollywood Hotel.
SOC president Matthew Moriarty shared, “This year’s honorees represent an exceptional level of skill, dedication, and artistry. From broadcast to film, unscripted television to still photography, these individuals have made significant contributions to their craft and helped shape the stories that captivate audiences. We are proud to recognize their talent and celebrate their careers.”
The Lifetime Achievement Awards are given in recognition of outstanding achievement by an established person within the field of film and video production. The honorees of the Lifetime Achievement Awards were nominated in six categories including: Camera Operator Film and Television, Camera Operator Broadcast & Live, Camera Technician, Mobile Platform Camera Operator, Still Photographer, and (new) Camera Operator Unscripted.
The recipients are:
--Still Photographer – Zade Rosenthal
--Camera Operator Film & Television – Bonnie Blake, SOC
--Mobile Camera Platform Operator – Tim Christie
--Camera Technician – Jamie Felz
--Camera Operator Broadcast & Live – Larry Heider
--Camera Operator Unscripted – John Armstrong
Submissions are now open for the Camera Operator of the Year Award, which honors operators in Feature Film and Television, with a deadline of December 31, 2024. Final nominees will be selected by SOC voting members, with winners announced at the awards ceremony in February. The Technical Achievement Award, recognizing innovative... Read More