OpenAI has formally expressed concerns to European competition authorities about the growing concentration of power in the AI sector, warning that large technology platforms could entrench their dominance by locking in users and leveraging their existing market power.
According to reports, OpenAI presented its case to EU officials, including EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera, during a meeting on 24 September 2025. The company highlighted the structural barriers smaller AI developers face when competing with entrenched tech giants, particularly Alphabet Inc. and its subsidiary Google, Bloomberg reported.
OpenAI stated that the arguments it shared with regulators were consistent with its public positions: that vertically integrated platforms can leverage their existing ecosystems to maintain control over users, distribution channels, and critical data infrastructure. It urged the European Commission to take action to ensure fair competition in the rapidly evolving AI market.
The Commission is already examining how dominant digital platforms are extending their market positions into AI. This includes scrutinizing specific intercompany agreements that may give incumbents a competitive advantage.
Neither the European Commission nor Google responded immediately to media requests for comment.
OpenAI’s intervention comes as the company itself reaches a new milestone: with over 800 million weekly users of its flagship chatbot ChatGPT and a $500 billion valuation following a secondary share sale last week, it has become the world’s most valuable startup.
This move underscores the intensifying regulatory focus on competition in AI, as policymakers seek to prevent dominant firms from consolidating control over emerging technologies.
