Potential discussions between Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc.‘s Google pertain to a prospective artificial intelligence (AI) deal that could influence the involvement of the US Justice Department in managing antitrust issues within the AI sector.
Specifically, Apple is in ongoing conversations aimed at integrating Google’s Gemini AI engine into the iPhone, according to a report by Bloomberg News. This report arrives on the back of a significant lawsuit against Apple by the DOJ’s Antitrust Division just last week, synced with a pending decision in its search monopolization case against Google. Legal and academic experts in the field of antitrust indicate that how these legal disputes unfold could have repercussions on the relationship dynamic between these tech juggernauts.
These cases possibly set the stage for the agency to take its first steps towards AI regulation, following the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) launch of an inquiry into big tech’s investments in AI startups in January. However, it is not entirely clear which agency, between the DOJ and the FTC, should primarily deal with AI issues, thus creating an atmosphere of uncertainty for companies, lawyers, and regulators.
This deal, if confirmed, would exemplify Google’s most high-profile partnership for its powerful AI chatbot technology, Gemini, which Apple could deploy to augment the capabilities of Siri and various other iPhone applications. However, the potential antitrust issues that this partnership could evoke for regulators cannot be determined due to the sparse details currently available about the deal.
The DOJ’s growing interest in such deals is likely due to their potential influence on the agency’s existing proceedings against Google and Apple. Legal experts suggest these proceedings could result in a significant shift in responder jurisdiction to AI issues.
The full article can be read at Bloomberg.