Microsoft’s OpenAI investment could trigger EU merger review

LONDON (AP) — The European Union says Microsoft’s multibillion-dollar investment in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI could trigger a merger investigation. The EU’s executive branch said Tuesday that it’s “checking whether Microsoft’s investment in OpenAI might be reviewable” under regulations covering mergers and acquisitions that would harm competition in the 27-nation bloc. The review could lead to a formal investigation into whether the deal should be unconditionally cleared, allowed with concessions from the companies or blocked. Britain’s antitrust watchdog opened a similar review last month. Antitrust enforcers in the U.S. also have signaled concerns about competition in the AI industry. OpenAI has received several rounds of funding from Microsoft, including a multibillion-dollar investment last year.