Oct 24 (Reuters) - Britain's antitrust watchdog launched

a probe on Thursday into Google parent Alphabet's

partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.

Almost two years after Microsoft ( MSFT )-backed OpenAI

triggered an AI boom with the release of ChatGPT, regulators

around the world have been increasingly concerned by deals

struck between big tech companies and smaller startups.

Anthropic, which was co-founded by former OpenAI executives

and siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, last year said it had

secured a $500 million investment from Alphabet, which promised

to invest another $1.5 billion over time.

Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has been

scrutinising Alphabet's relationship with Anthropic since July,

when it began seeking views on whether the deal could undermine

competition in the UK.

The regulator has set Dec. 19 as the deadline for its Phase

1 decision, at which point it will decide whether to carry the

investigation forward.

Alphabet and Anthropic did not immediately respond to

requests for comment.