OpenAI, the organization behind ChatGPT, has expressed its concerns to the European Commission regarding the increasing difficulties of maintaining fair competition in the artificial intelligence sector, particularly against the tech giant Google. Despite achieving significant success, with over 800 million weekly users and a $500 billion valuation following its recent share sale, OpenAI asserts it faces challenges that necessitate closer regulatory scrutiny. As reported by Bloomberg News, OpenAI representatives met with EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera on September 24 to discuss the competitive environment within AI. The company underscored the challenges of operating in a domain where large technology firms dominate vast ecosystems and user bases.
OpenAI reportedly urged regulators to implement measures to mitigate the risks of major platforms locking users into their ecosystems, stressing the importance of intervention to maintain market fairness. Confirming its discussions with EU authorities, OpenAI indicated that these talks were in line with its publicly expressed views on market fairness. The company stated, “Our interactions with regulators reflect our ongoing commitment to transparency and fair competition.” This position is in alignment with broader EU initiatives aimed at ensuring the development of emerging AI technologies in an open and competitive framework, devoid of monopolistic practices. These discussions occur amid the rapid success of OpenAI’s latest innovation, the video-generation tool Sora, which has gained significant traction in the tech industry.
Bill Peebles, the head of Sora, revealed that the app exceeded one million downloads within just five days of its late-September launch—an adoption rate that surpasses ChatGPT’s initial success. The short-video version, Sora 2, reached the top of Apple’s App Store charts on October 3, just three days after its launch, despite being invite-only and limited to users in the United States and Canada. OpenAI’s swift ascension has established it as one of the most valuable startups worldwide, yet the company asserts that its growth is impeded by structural disadvantages when competing with established players like Google.
The organization has reportedly urged EU officials to scrutinize practices that hinder users from easily switching between services, cautioning that such “lock-in” strategies could suppress innovation and reduce consumer choice. The European Commission is currently assessing how major, vertically integrated platforms may be extending their dominance into the AI sphere. Regulators are reportedly investigating how existing market power is utilized through AI integrations and intercompany agreements that could unduly affect competition. Both the European Commission and Google have refrained from commenting on OpenAI’s concerns thus far, leaving uncertainties regarding how regulatory bodies will tackle the issue.
Nevertheless, the company’s outreach highlights a significant tension in the current tech landscape: the need to balance swift AI innovation with fair and open market practices. OpenAI’s remarkable growth narrative—from ChatGPT’s vast user base to Sora’s rapid launch—illustrates its pivotal role in the global AI landscape. However, as competition escalates, the company’s appeal for regulatory fairness indicates that innovation alone may not suffice to establish a level playing field in this era of intelligent machines.