Google Urges FTC To Dismantle Microsoft's Exclusive Cloud Partnership With OpenAI

Major cloud service providers like Google and Amazon, which directly compete with Microsoft in renting out cloud servers, are advocating for the opportunity to host OpenAI’s models on their platforms.

Google reportedly views Microsoft’s exclusivity as an unfair advantage in the competitive cloud computing market.

Source : Unsplash/BoliviaInteligente

Google has reportedly urged the US government to intervene in Microsoft’s exclusive arrangement to host OpenAI’s technology on its cloud infrastructure, according to a report by The Information on Tuesday. This appeal comes amid a broader investigation by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) into Microsoft’s business practices, with Google raising concerns during discussions with the regulatory body.

The report, citing a source directly involved, suggests that Google views Microsoft’s exclusivity as an unfair advantage in the competitive cloud computing market.

Major cloud service providers like Google and Amazon, which directly compete with Microsoft in renting out cloud servers, are advocating for the opportunity to host OpenAI’s models on their platforms.

They argue that enabling broader access would ensure customers do not need to rely solely on Microsoft’s servers to integrate OpenAI’s technology, such as ChatGPT. However, the report claims that companies leveraging OpenAI’s tools through Microsoft may face additional charges unless they already utilize Microsoft’s cloud servers for their operations.

These added costs have been flagged as a potential issue for customers, with Google and other rivals warning that such expenses could hinder businesses that are adopting OpenAI’s technology. Critics argue that this exclusivity restricts competition and limits customer choice in the burgeoning field of AI and cloud services.

As of now, representatives from Microsoft, Google, OpenAI, and the FTC have not provided any official comments in response to these allegations, according to a Reuters report.