EU’s Antitrust Chief Comments on Microsoft’s Talent Poaching
As Microsoft Corporation expands its AI capabilities, the recent talent acquisition of most of the team at Inflection has caught the attention of the European Union’s antitrust watchdog, Margrethe Vestager. Vestager signaled concern about this move, stating that should this trend proliferate, it may trigger antitrust investigations, as reported by Reuters.
Shift in Talent Landscape or Potential Antitrust Breach?
The debate arose after Microsoft welcomed on board the core team from Inflection, accompanied by its esteemed co-founders, Mustafa Suleyman and Karen Simonyan, into their newly minted Microsoft AI unit last month. This maneuver enabled Microsoft to sidestep the scrutiny typically faced during traditional acquisitions, such as those under regulatory review.
EU’s Delicate Dance with Tech Giants
Despite acknowledging the significance of this development, Vestager clarified that current regulations do not encompass such talent transfers. However, she cautioned that should this pattern persist and pose a threat to competition, it might necessitate corrective measures. Referring to the importance of merger rules in safeguarding competition, Vestager highlighted the potential need for intervention if such practices become commonplace.
Antitrust Ripples Across the Atlantic
This scrutiny of Microsoft’s strategies adds to previous antitrust evaluations within the tech industry. Back in January, the EU scrutinized Microsoft’s $13 billion investment in ChatGPT‘s parent company, OpenAI, over potential anti-competitive implications. The relationship between Microsoft and OpenAI had also been under the regulatory radar of the European Commission and the EU’s competition authority, culminating in heightened oversight.
Amidst the antitrust storm, the past year witnessed a dramatic turn of events, including the temporary exit of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and subsequent revelations by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. These incidents underscore the delicate balance between innovation and competition, hinting at the complexities tech behemoths face in navigating regulatory landscapes.
