Microsoft Corporation, under the leadership of CEO Satya Nadella, has dodged a full-scale antitrust investigation by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) concerning its acquisition of certain assets and recruitment of key staff from AI startup Inflection AI. Initially flagged for potential competitive concerns within the AI industry, the CMA concluded that the acquisition does not substantially lessen competition. Despite the absence of public disclosure on licensing agreements, it is understood Microsoft integrated several members of Inflection AI’s 70-person team into its ranks. The CMA’s decision comes amid another investigation into Microsoft’s substantial investment in AI leader OpenAI. Moreover, the CMA is also scrutinizing a potential merger scenario between Amazon and AI startup Anthropic. The strategic hiring includes Mustafa Suleyman, Inflection’s co-founder, now serving as Microsoft’s executive vice president and CEO of Microsoft AI. This move aligns with Microsoft’s strategic diversification within the AI domain, adding to its proclaimed leadership in AI, as demonstrated by a notable rise in cloud revenue.
Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Regulatory Compliance,United Kingdom, United States, European Union
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