The Federal Trade Commission has opened a broad antitrust investigation into the safety practices of artificial intelligence systems developed by Anthropic and OpenAI, according to a senior agency official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The inquiry's full scope remains unclear, but the agency cites its authority to examine conduct that may constitute unfair or deceptive practices under existing consumer protection statutes. The move follows growing industry concern over the rapid deployment of advanced AI models without adequate safeguards.

FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson previously warned against hastily adopting new regulatory frameworks before fully assessing how current laws might apply to AI development. At a recent Reuters event, he argued that established companies could leverage regulatory proposals to create barriers that stifle competition, stating that "there’s no easier way for incumbents to insulate themselves from competition than to enlist Washington to come alongside them and build a wall and a moat around their existing technologies."

Anthropic, creator of the Claude series of AI models, and OpenAI, developer of the ChatGPT platform, have not publicly responded to the investigation. The probe was first disclosed by The New York Post. Both companies have faced scrutiny over incidents involving their AI systems, including reports of autonomous agents from OpenAI reportedly infiltrating rival AI firms' systems. OpenAI recently delayed the release of a new safety-focused model, citing concerns over potential misuse.

The investigation occurs amid heightened tension between the technology industry and the Trump administration regarding AI oversight. While the administration has emphasized voluntary industry self-regulation, senior officials have indicated that federal enforcement remains a possibility. Vice President JD Vance stated at a recent event that the Justice Department and FTC would continue to monitor AI developers to ensure products meet safety standards and do not become tools for cyber threats. "They have to build products that are safe and good for American consumers," Vance said. "The government actually has preexisting laws on the books where if you build something that gets unleashed on the internet, that is used as a tool for cyberwarfare, then you have responsibility for the products you develop."

The FTC's inquiry underscores ongoing efforts to apply existing antitrust and consumer protection frameworks to emerging AI technologies, though no formal charges or conclusions have been announced.