The DOJ wants info on Google’s AI strategy to bust up its search monopoly

The Justice Department wants to larn much astir Google’s AI strategy successful bid to find what kinds of changes it volition inquire for to resoluteness Google’s monopoly successful search.

The petition came during a proceeding Friday successful a national tribunal successful Washington, DC, wherever Google and the DOJ met earlier Judge Amit Mehta, who precocious ruled successful favour of the DOJ and agreed that Google is an amerciable monopolist. Mehta’s determination officially ended the archetypal signifier of the trial, which focused connected whether Google is liable nether antitrust law. Now the parties are moving onto the remedies phase, wherever the authorities volition suggest solutions to close the amerciable behaviour and reconstruct contention to the market.

DOJ lawyer David Dahlquist told the tribunal that the authorities needs much find to recognize the authorities of Google’s concern successful caller years. The proceedings covered deals Google made up to the aboriginal ‘20s, including a longstanding statement to supply hunt services connected Apple products. But the DOJ’s probe wrapped up conscionable arsenic Google — alongside would-be competitors similar Microsoft — was opening to propulsion a caller benignant of hunt merchandise built astir generative AI. As Dahlquist mentioned, Google’s sanction for its AI has adjacent changed since past year’s trial: it was Bard then, and present it’s Gemini. So the squad is requesting much accusation astir Google’s newer concern decisions, including astir AI.

The parties inactive haven’t agreed connected a timeline for the remedies phase, which volition see different trial-like proceeding. But Mehta indicated he’d similar those arguments to instrumentality spot successful the archetypal fractional of adjacent year. While nothing’s acceptable successful stone, they expect it to instrumentality overmuch little clip than the 10-week proceedings that began past September — much similar a week oregon 2 instead. The parties are expected to record a caller scheduling connection by adjacent Friday.