EU Probes Google Over Alleged Abuse of its AI Dominance

Google has been hit with a European Union (EU) probe over suspicions that the US tech giant is abusing its market power in its rollout of artificial intelligence (AI), days after Meta Platforms Inc. was targeted by a similar investigation, Samuel Stolton reported for Bloomberg News.

Google said the EU case “risks stifling innovation in a market that is more competitive than ever.” (Photo: Google Arnulfpost)

In another move likely to stoke criticism from the White House, EU watchdogs said they will examine whether the Alphabet Inc. unit imposed unfair terms on content creators and gave its own AI model an advantage over rivals.

The Brussels-based European Commission (EC) will also assess the extent to which Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode rely on web publishers’ content — and whether those publishers are being compensated appropriately.

“This case is once again a strong signal of our commitment to protecting the online press and other content creators, and to ensuring fair competition in emerging AI markets,” EU antitrust commissioner Teresa Ribera said in a speech in Brussels.

Google said the EU case “risks stifling innovation in a market that is more competitive than ever.”

The company added: “Europeans deserve to benefit from the latest technologies, and we will continue to work closely with the news and creative industries as they transition to the AI era.”

The probe follows a nearly €3 billion ($3.5 billion) fine imposed on Google in September for favoring its own advertising technology services over rivals — a penalty that drew ire from US President Donald Trump, who labeled the fine “discriminatory,” Barbara Moens also reported for the Financial Times.