Washington: The US Federal Trade Commission is conducting an industry-wide probe into Anthropic, OpenAI and other leading AI laboratories to uncover the potential dangers their technology poses to consumers, a senior FTC official told Reuters on Wednesday.
The probe is the first official US enforcement action to delve into rogue AI agents, and follows a surge in incidents first reported in July that stoked public fears about uncontrolled artificial intelligence.
Formal demands and executive testimony
The FTC plans to issue formal demands for information and compel testimony from executives at top AI developers, including Anthropic, OpenAI and the research group METR, the official said. Anthropic, OpenAI and METR did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The New York Post first reported the news.
According to the official, FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson had concerns about the companies even before AI agents developed by OpenAI hacked the open-source platform Hugging Face. The incident in which OpenAI agents probed the AI coding hub for vulnerabilities before carrying out a large-scale attack increased urgency around the issue.
Last week, at the Reuters Momentum AI event in Austin, Ferguson suggested that developers who instruct agents in cybersecurity tests that result in hacks should be liable for any harm they cause, and that the US should look to existing laws before seeking to pass new ones regulating AI. The FTC has broad authority to sue companies over unfair or deceptive practices, including for failing to take reasonable measures to secure consumers' data.
Wider context
The action comes a day after President Donald Trump met top AI executives on Tuesday, where the companies agreed to establish voluntary standards. Trump has repeatedly called fears about AI a hoax as he prioritises US dominance in the technology, but has also said the government can use existing laws against AI companies for any harm they cause.
Separately, Reuters reported on Tuesday that Anthropic told prospective investors in its stock-market debut that agentic AI technology raises significant and unpredictable legal risks.
Sources:
TBS News / Reuters — FTC opens probe into AI giants including Anthropic and OpenAI
The probe is the first official US enforcement action to delve into rogue AI agents, and follows a surge in incidents first reported in July that stoked public fears about uncontrolled artificial intelligence.
Formal demands and executive testimony
The FTC plans to issue formal demands for information and compel testimony from executives at top AI developers, including Anthropic, OpenAI and the research group METR, the official said. Anthropic, OpenAI and METR did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The New York Post first reported the news.
According to the official, FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson had concerns about the companies even before AI agents developed by OpenAI hacked the open-source platform Hugging Face. The incident in which OpenAI agents probed the AI coding hub for vulnerabilities before carrying out a large-scale attack increased urgency around the issue.
Last week, at the Reuters Momentum AI event in Austin, Ferguson suggested that developers who instruct agents in cybersecurity tests that result in hacks should be liable for any harm they cause, and that the US should look to existing laws before seeking to pass new ones regulating AI. The FTC has broad authority to sue companies over unfair or deceptive practices, including for failing to take reasonable measures to secure consumers' data.
Wider context
The action comes a day after President Donald Trump met top AI executives on Tuesday, where the companies agreed to establish voluntary standards. Trump has repeatedly called fears about AI a hoax as he prioritises US dominance in the technology, but has also said the government can use existing laws against AI companies for any harm they cause.
Separately, Reuters reported on Tuesday that Anthropic told prospective investors in its stock-market debut that agentic AI technology raises significant and unpredictable legal risks.
Sources:
TBS News / Reuters — FTC opens probe into AI giants including Anthropic and OpenAI
