UK Competition Authority Approves Deal Between Google and Anthropic

The UK's competition watchdog announced on Tuesday that the partnership between Google’s parent company Alphabet (GOOGL) and artificial intelligence venture Anthropic is not subject to investigation under merger provisions. The Competition and Markets Authority stated that Google did not gain a "material influence" over Anthropic as a result of the deal. The authority began its review of the partnership after Alphabet Inc had pledged to invest $2 billion in the venture last year. Prior to the funding, Google also signed a major cloud agreement with Anthropic. The Competition and Markets Authority has been investigating Alphabet's relationship with Anthropic since July, seeking to determine whether the agreement undermines competition in the UK.