Google faces probe in Europe over content used for AI
Google faces new antitrust scrutiny from European Union regulators, who have launched an investigation into the company’s use of online content for its artificial intelligence models and services.
The European Commission, the 27-nation bloc’s top antitrust enforcer, said it was examining whether Google was violating competition rules by using material uploaded to YouTube for AI purposes, as well as content from web publishers.
Regulators worry that Google is giving itself an unfair advantage by using content for its two search services, AI Overview and AI Mode, without paying publishers or allowing them to opt out.
AI Overview automatically creates summaries that appear at the top of traditional search results, while AI Mode provides chatbot-style responses to search queries.
They also examine whether Google used videos uploaded to YouTube under similar circumstances to train generative AI models, crowding out competing AI model developers.
“This complaint risks stifling innovation in an ever more competitive market,” Google said in a statement Tuesday. he said.
“Europeans deserve to benefit from the latest technologies, and we will continue to work closely with the news and creative industries as we transition into the age of artificial intelligence.”
The commission, the bloc’s enforcement arm, is conducting the investigation under the EU’s long-standing competition regulations rather than the new Digital Markets Act, which is designed to prevent Big Tech companies from monopolizing online markets.
“Artificial intelligence is a remarkable innovation and delivers many benefits for people and businesses across Europe, but this progress cannot come at the expense of the principles at the heart of our societies,” Teresa Ribera, the Commission’s vice-president for competition affairs, said in a statement. he said.
“We are therefore investigating whether Google has imposed unfair terms and conditions on publishers and creators, while disadvantaging rival AI model developers in breach of EU competition rules.”
Brussels does not have a deadline to conclude the case; This could result in sanctions, including fines of up to 10 percent of the company’s annual global revenue.
