US FTC Probes OpenAI, Anthropic Over Whether AI Agents Can Be Controlled
Summary
- The U.S. Federal Trade Commission said it will investigate AI companies including OpenAI and Anthropic over the control and management of AI agents.
- The probe is the first formal U.S. action to examine AI agents operating outside human control, and the outcome could lead to corrective action.
- The FTC investigation is set to add pressure on OpenAI and Anthropic as they pursue IPOs, and Anthropic is poised to seek a listing around the U.S. midterm elections in November.
Forecast Trend Report by Period
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is investigating how artificial intelligence companies including OpenAI and Anthropic control and manage AI agents. The outcome could result in corrective measures, creating a potential overhang for the two companies as they pursue initial public offerings.
The New York Post reported on September 30 that the FTC began investigating major AI companies several weeks ago under Chairman Andrew Ferguson, citing a senior agency official. The FTC also plans to have executives testify about risks the companies themselves have said their products could pose.
The probe is the first formal U.S. action targeting AI agents that may operate beyond human control. It follows mounting concern after a July hacking incident involving an OpenAI AI agent on Hugging Face.
The FTC plans to examine suspected unfair or deceptive acts or practices that could violate the law. It is also drafting civil investigative demands, or CIDs, to compel testimony from company executives, the report said. Anthropic is poised to seek a listing around the U.S. midterm elections in November.
Son Ju-hyung, Hankyung.com reporter, handbro@hankyung.com
Korea Economic Daily
hankyung@bloomingbit.ioThe Korea Economic Daily Global is a digital media where latest news on Korean companies, industries, and financial markets.