EU antitrust regulators want to know if Google, Samsung chatbot deal hurts rivals – ThePrint – ReutersFeed

By Foo Yun Chee
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European Union antitrust regulators are asking industry representatives whether Google’s multi-year generative artificial intelligence (AI) deal with Samsung is hampering the operation of rival chatbots on Samsung smartphones, an EU document seen by Reuters shows.

The European Commission said last month it would send a request for information to better understand the implications of the deal under which Samsung will build Google’s Gemini Nano chip into Samsung’s Galaxy S24 series of smartphones.

The survey asked whether pre-installing Gemini Nano via device or cloud limits the number of other generative AI systems that can be pre-installed on the same device.

Regulators also wanted to know whether pre-installing Gemini Nano limits interoperability between other chatbots and apps pre-installed on Samsung smartphones.

Respondents were asked whether they had tried but failed to sign agreements with device manufacturers to pre-install their chatbots and whether they provided detailed reasons for rejecting the applications.

Respondents have until this week to complete the eight-page survey.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)

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