01:04 PM EDT, 04/11/2024 (MT Newswires) -- The UK's Competition and Markets Authority said Thursday that an "interconnected web" of over 90 partnerships and strategic investments could impact fair, open, and effective competition in the AI foundation models market.

Citing their updated paper on AI foundation models, CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell said these partnerships and strategic investments involve the same companies: Alphabet's (GOOG, GOOGL) Google ( GOOG ), Apple ( AAPL ) , Microsoft ( MSFT ) , Meta (META), Amazon ( AMZN ) , and Nvidia ( NVDA ) .

Cardell said the CMA will be stepping up their merger review and keeping a very close watch on current and emerging partnerships.

The CMA report identified risks to competition, such as firms controlling essential resources for developing FMs limiting access to protect their market position, and partnerships among major players that might increase market power across the industry.

"The essential challenge we face is how to harness this immensely exciting technology for the benefit of all, while safeguarding against potential exploitation of market power and unintended consequences," Cardell said.

The regulator said its detailed update report on FMs, including its finalized principles, will be out next week.

Nvidia ( NVDA ) declined to comment and Google ( GOOG ), Apple ( AAPL ), Microsoft ( MSFT ), Meta, and Amazon ( AMZN ) didn't immediately reply to MT Newswires' requests for comment.

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