In a recent engagement with the European Commission’s antitrust division, OpenAI, the organization behind the widely-used ChatGPT, expressed apprehensions regarding the competitive practices of major technology firms such as Apple, Microsoft, and Google. The meeting, held on September 24, 2025, with antitrust chief Teresa Ribera, focused on the challenges OpenAI faces in a market dominated by these established entities.
OpenAI highlighted the difficulties in competing with entrenched companies, emphasizing the need for vigilance and timely action by regulators to prevent user lock-in by large platforms. This lock-in could hinder companies like OpenAI from effectively competing with incumbents like Apple and Google. Notably, Apple integrates OpenAI’s ChatGPT into its Apple Intelligence suite, and OpenAI has collaborated with Microsoft, a partner and shareholder, in recent years. Despite these partnerships, OpenAI’s concerns suggest that the current market dynamics may impede the company’s growth and innovation.
The European Commission is already investigating such practices, including specific intercompany agreements. Google and the European Commission did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. OpenAI, known for its ChatGPT tool that now has over 800 million weekly users, recently became the world’s most valuable startup following a secondary share sale that valued it at $500 billion.
This development underscores the ongoing tension between emerging AI companies and established tech giants, as the former seek to navigate a landscape where access to data and distribution channels is often controlled by the latter. The outcome of these discussions could have significant implications for the future of competition and innovation in the AI industry.
