The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has officially sanctioned Microsoft’s $13 billion investment in OpenAI, concluding a thorough 14-month investigation. The decision indicates that the investment does not necessitate any further scrutiny under merger regulations, reaffirming that neither Microsoft nor OpenAI would alter their levels of control over each other.
Specifically, the CMA determined that there has been no shift in Microsoft's influence over OpenAI from significant to de facto control. Consequently, the partnership will not be escalated for review under section 22 of the Enterprise Act 2002 (the Act). – CMA press release
Currently, Microsoft holds an approximate 49% stake in OpenAI and has poured over $14 billion into the AI research company since 2019. However, Microsoft’s latest investment is still subject to an investigation by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding potential monopolistic behavior in the AI sector, akin to its dominance in cloud computing.
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