Google’s AI technology might be put in the spotlight as the Department of Justice decides on how to tackle the company’s monopoly in the search space.
US District Judge Amit Mehta has been asked to give a view as to whether Google needs to hand over the details of its AI technology, Gemini, to be considered in this landmark antitrust case.
The case centers upon what the DoJ has termed “pernicious” anticompetitive conduct from the technology giant; and the illegal monopoly that it was ruled to have in August.
Breaking up a monopoly
The paperwork filed with the DC District Court highlighted four areas where it believes Google has illegally maintained a monopoly, including user data and pre-installation of its browsers and first party apps on new devices.
The Justice Department proposed solution “appropriately and meaningfully addresses the harms resulting from Google’s unlawful conduct in the context of current market realities.” But now AI is an area that might also be scrutinized.
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Does Google’s AI Boost Its Monopoly?
What has now been put to a judge is whether Google’s AI technology needs to be considered as part of the process for creating a “remedy” for the monopoly. This is not least because the technology has moved on during the time this antitrust case has been heard.
“Generative AI is changing how users interact with and access search. As the court is aware, by the time the court hears evidence related to remedies, it will have been almost three years since liability discovery closed. During this time, the features and services associates with Google’s search product have continued to evolve, even as harm related to Google’s conduct continues.” – the Justice Department
Push Back
Google has, predictably, pushed back at the prospect of its business being broken up.
“The government seems to be pursuing a sweeping agenda that will impact numerous industries and products, with significant unintended consequences for consumers, businesses, and American competitiveness.” – Lee-Anne Mulholland, vice president of regulatory affairs in a blog post
Its response to this latest request for information has also been salty. It is arguing that the request is simply too wide as it uses AI for everything from translating on Pixel smartphones to Google Maps. Google is also arguing that the request also breaches discovery rules.
Google has, however, handed over 130 agreements now but the Justice Department is continuing to fight for more.
The Department for Justice will finalize its proposal by November 20 and Google is scheduled to respond a month later.
