EU Antitrust Chief Discusses Competition Concerns with Mistral AI Amid Tech Industry Scrutiny

The European Union’s antitrust chief, Margrethe Vestager, recently met with representatives from the French artificial intelligence (AI) firm Mistral AI to discuss concerns about competition in the tech sector. The meeting comes amid growing worries about Big Tech companies’ investments in AI startups, with Microsoft, Amazon, and Google all making significant investments in various AI companies.

Vestager expressed the need for vibrant competition in the AI market to prevent domination by a few large players, similar to what has happened with digital platforms. This meeting with Mistral AI follows a report from British antitrust authorities seeking opinions on partnerships between Microsoft and Amazon and smaller generative AI model developers.

Mistral AI, which is reportedly exploring a funding round that could value the company at $5 billion, has been in talks with investors to raise several hundred million dollars. The firm was previously valued at $2 billion following a funding round in December.

The European Commission has also announced plans to examine the Microsoft-Mistral deal as part of its investigation into partnerships between Big Tech and AI companies. This ongoing scrutiny highlights the EU’s commitment to ensuring fair competition in the tech industry.

Overall, the discussions between Vestager and Mistral AI underscore the importance of maintaining a competitive landscape in the AI market to foster innovation and prevent monopolistic practices. Stay tuned for further developments in this evolving tech landscape.