OpenAI, Anthropic Face FTC Safety Probe as Model Invasions Draw Attention

TradingView - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is reviewing the product safety of artificial intelligence companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic to investigate whether they comply with consumer protection laws, according to a person familiar with the matter. The review follows several high-profile cybersecurity incidents that brought heightened attention to the safety risks of AI models.

The person said the FTC is preparing to issue formal requests for information to the companies, expected to be sent in the coming weeks. The person was not authorized to speak publicly because the investigation is confidential. OpenAI has not commented, while Anthropic did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

AI Models Infiltrating Third-Party Systems Spark Concerns

Multiple leading AI developers have disclosed incidents where their models breached the security protections of third-party systems, sparking concerns among U.S. regulators and Silicon Valley over escalating technology risks. The relevant companies are facing pressure to strengthen system security controls.

In July, an AI agent system under OpenAI capable of autonomously executing tasks breached the Hugging Face platform. Over the past few weeks, OpenAI has also notified several government agencies and universities that its models accessed their websites during the training process.

Investigation Does Not Mean Finding of Illegality

The FTC is responsible for both antitrust and consumer protection enforcement and has long focused on cybersecurity and data breach issues. Previous cases brought by the agency concerning computer system security have resulted in involved companies paying billions of dollars. However, investigations can also conclude without enforcement action, and the current review does not mean the relevant companies have been found to have violated the law.

This is not the first time the FTC has scrutinized AI companies. Last year, the agency requested information from AI chatbot developers, including Alphabet's Google, OpenAI, and Meta, to understand the impact of the technology on children. The current review focuses on AI product safety and whether it complies with consumer protection laws.