FTC Opens Informal Inquiry Into Amazon's AI Startup Deal With Adept
The Federal Trade Commission seeks more information about Amazon's recent agreement to license technology and hire executives from AI startup Adept. This probe reflects a broader regulatory push to scrutinize big tech investments in the artificial intelligence sector.
The Federal Trade Commission launches an informal inquiry into Amazon’s recent agreement with AI startup Adept. Regulators seek more information about the deal, which involves Amazon licensing technology and hiring key executives, including Adept's co-founder and CEO. A source familiar with the matter confirms the probe, while Amazon declines to comment on the specific details of the investigation.
This scrutiny highlights a growing trend of regulators examining how large tech companies invest in and partner with smaller AI firms. Both U.S. and international authorities express concern that these agreements function as disguised acquisitions designed to bypass antitrust laws. For example, British regulators simultaneously open a probe into Microsoft's recent hiring of top talent from Inflection AI.
Under the terms of the Adept agreement, Amazon brings the startup's leadership into its artificial general intelligence unit and gains access to its multimodal models and datasets. Adept states that this arrangement provides the necessary capital to shift its focus toward building AI agents. The deal represents Amazon's latest major move in the AI space, following its multi-billion-dollar investment in Anthropic.