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Google Antitrust Case: AI Race Dominance Concerns Raised in Court
Legal experts from the Justice Department cautioned that Google’s preeminence in search is expanding into the artificial intelligence sector, potentially stifling competition. This warning was issued as the remedy phase commenced Monday in the significant antitrust lawsuit against the tech conglomerate.
AI Integration and Market Influence
Google is already utilizing artificial intelligence as a “method to access search” and will persist in this strategy absent governmental intervention, stated DOJ attorney David Dahlquist during his opening remarks in a Washington, DC, courtroom.
“The court’s remedy should be forward-thinking and consider future technological landscapes,” Dahlquist emphasized. He indicated that witnesses from OpenAI and Perplexity would testify regarding the impact of Google’s dominance on the burgeoning AI race.
Judge to Determine Remedies
US District Judge Amit Mehta is presiding over the case and will determine suitable remedies. This follows his August ruling that Google, under the leadership of Sundar Pichai, operates as a “monopolist” illegally controlling the online search market.
DOJ Proposals: Divestiture and Data Sharing
The Justice Department has requested Judge Mehta to mandate Google to divest its Chrome web browser. Federal authorities also advocated for ending Google’s practice of compensating companies like Apple and AT&T to ensure its search engine is the default option on the majority of smartphones.
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Further Remedies Considered
Furthermore, the government is pursuing a court-ordered mandate requiring Google to share its search data with competitors. They have also proposed a forced separation of Google’s Android operating system if the initial court-ordered remedies prove insufficient after a five-year period.
Alphabet Shares Impacted
Shares of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, experienced a 3% decrease in mid-day trading amidst a widespread market downturn.
Google’s Appeal and Counterarguments
Google has announced its intention to appeal the judge’s ultimate decision in the case once the remedies are finalized.
The company contends that a forced divestiture of Chrome and Android would “fracture these platforms,” jeopardize US national security, and potentially enable China to surpass the US in the development of AI and other crucial technologies.
“When considering antitrust remedies, the US Supreme Court has stressed that ‘caution is paramount,'” Google’s vice president of regulatory affairs, Lee-Anne Mulholland, stated in a blog post prior to the trial. “The DOJ’s proposal disregards this caution. We are eager to present our arguments in court.”
Reports indicate that Google officials had urged the Trump administration’s DOJ to moderate its proposed remedies in the weeks leading up to the trial.
Timeline for Decision
Closing arguments are scheduled for late May. Judge Mehta’s final verdict on rectifying Google’s search monopoly is anticipated by August.
Bipartisan Concerns Over Big Tech
The DOJ’s search case was initially initiated in 2020 during President Trump’s administration and proceeded to trial in 2023 under President Joe Biden.
In a public statement outside the courthouse on Monday, DOJ antitrust chief Gail Slater asserted that the case to dismantle Google “has united our nation” and affirmed “a bipartisan agreement that robust antitrust enforcement against Big Tech is critically needed.”
National Security Argument Rebutted
Slater also dismissed Google’s assertion that a breakup would somehow endanger US national security.
“Do you know what is perilous? The menace Google poses to our freedom of expression, to our intellectual autonomy, to open American digital marketplaces. Do you know what is irresponsible? Allowing Google’s monopolistic abuse to persist unaddressed,” Slater declared.
Ad Tech Antitrust Case
The remedy phase of the DOJ search case commenced shortly after Google faced a significant setback in a separate federal antitrust lawsuit focusing on its digital advertising business.
Further Breakup Efforts
A federal judge determined that Google operates two separate illegal monopolies in digital ad technology. The DOJ is also seeking a corporate breakup in that related case.