Bloomberg : UK regulator launches formal investigation into Google partnership with Anthropic

Google partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic is at risk of disruption in the U.K. on Oct. 24, after the competition regulator called for a further investigation into the potential impact of the deal. Britain's Competition and Markets Authority said on Thursday it would launch the first stage of a formal merger investigation. Google last year pledged to invest $2 billion in the artificial intelligence startup. Prior to the funding, Google also signed a major cloud deal with Anthropic. The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has been at the forefront of global regulators to ensure that large-scale tech investments in the AI industry do not distort the market. Microsoft Corp.'s investment in OpenAI could also face an investigation by U.K. regulatory authorities, while Amazon's $4 billion investment in Anthropic was approved in September.