EU Antitrust Regulators Investigate Google and Samsung's Chatbot Deal
EU antitrust officials are looking into the Google-Samsung chatbot deal. The European Commission is evaluating whether the collaboration impedes competition. The probe centres on pre-installing Google's Gemini Nano on Samsung cellphones.
The European Commission has launched an investigation to gather evidence and examine the potential anti-competitive impacts of the long-term arrangement between the tech titans.
The arrangement involves the integration of Google's generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology, Gemini Nano, into Samsung's next Galaxy S24 series smartphones. Samsung hopes to improve their smartphones' chatbot skills by integrating Gemini Nano in them.
The EU antitrust enforcer is particularly interested in determining if the pre-installation of Gemini Nano limits the availability of competing generative AI systems on Samsung handsets. This study will look at whether Google and Samsung's partnership creates barriers for other chatbot providers, limiting consumer choice and impeding market competition.
Additionally, regulators are looking at how the pre-installation of Gemini Nano affects the interoperability of other chatbots and pre-installed programmes on Samsung handsets. This aspect of the study tries to determine whether the collaboration limits other chatbot developers' ability to effortlessly connect their services with Samsung devices.
To gain insights, the European Commission distributed an eight-page questionnaire to industry participants. The questionnaire asks chatbot developers if they have had difficulty getting partnerships with device manufacturers to pre-install their chatbots, as well as why any rejections occurred.
Industry participants have till the end of this week to complete the questionnaire and share their thoughts on the potential anti-competitive ramifications of the Google-Samsung chatbot arrangement.
EU antitrust regulators are investigating the Google-Samsung chatbot deal.
The European Commission is assessing whether the partnership hinders competition.
The inquiry focuses on the pre-installation of Google's Gemini Nano on Samsung smartphones.
Source: REUTERS