Microsoft’s AI Software Sales, OpenAI Deal Targeted by FTC Probe

As the U.S. Federal Trade Commission ramps up its sweeping new antitrust investigation into Microsoft, FTC officials have been asking Microsoft's rivals about the impact of its artificial intelligence deals and range of products, according to someone involved in the discussions and a second person briefed on the discussions.

Specifically, the FTC is asking about Microsoft’s deal with OpenAI, which grants the cloud giant the exclusive right to run the startup’s models on its cloud servers, as well as a cut of OpenAI’s revenue. The FTC has also questioned rivals about how Microsoft sells its OpenAI-infused Copilot software and how it resells OpenAI’s models to developers on its Azure cloud computing platform, one of the people said.