UK competition watchdog launches probe into Alphabet's Anthropic investment

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has officially launched an inquiry into the merger between Alphabet Inc. , Google's parent company, and AI safety firm Anthropic.

The regulatory body had sought opinions on the deal earlier this year and confirmed on Thursday that it now has "sufficient information" to proceed with a formal probe, as reported by City AM.

In a pivotal move for the AI sector, Alphabet channelled $500 million into Anthropic in 2023, alongside a future commitment of $1.5 billion over an undefined period. In addition, Anthropic reli