The FTC is one of the most vocal federal agencies in the US seeking to regulate artificial intelligence, already having issued a number of statements, reports, and warnings. Previously launching an investigation into generative AI over competition concerns, on 24 January 2024, the FTC issued orders to file a special report to tech industry leaders Alphabet, Inc., Amazon.com, Inc., Anthropic PBC, Microsoft Corp., and OpenAI, Inc. under section 6(b) of the Federal Trade Commission Act, which allows them to conduct studies providing insights into market trends and business practices.

The investigation comes following concerns about how investments and partnerships formed by dominant companies may distort innovation and undermine fair competition. Indeed, Big Tech has significantly invested in generative AI companies, with Microsoft's investing $13 billion in OpenAI and Google and Amazon significantly investing in Anthropic.