FTC launches broad investigation into Anthropic, OpenAI - The Washington Post

The Washington Post has reported that the Federal Trade Commission has opened a broad investigation into the safety of artificial intelligence systems made by Anthropic and OpenAI. The article, headlined 'FTC launches broad investigation into Anthropic, OpenAI,' attributes the development to a senior agency official, who said the investigation had been opened on Wednesday. The report describes the probe as broad and identifies the two companies whose AI systems are its subject.

According to the article, the investigation reflects a focus by Trump administration officials on using existing laws to address AI safety risks. The senior agency official said the FTC holds wide authority to investigate unfair and deceptive practices that hurt American consumers. The official is not named in the excerpt, and the article does not state what specific practices are under examination, which AI products are under review, or what penalties the agency might seek.

The excerpt does not indicate whether Anthropic or OpenAI have been contacted, nor whether either company has responded. It also does not state whether the investigation was opened in response to a specific complaint, whether other companies fall within its scope, or how long the inquiry is expected to run.