FTC opens probe into OpenAI, Anthropic and AI safety group METR

The Federal Trade Commission is investigating OpenAI, Anthropic and METR over potential risks tied to their AI technology. An FTC official confirmed the probe, while other reporting says the agency first opened it this summer and is expected to send civil investigative demands in the coming weeks. Reports also say the inquiry began before the OpenAI model incident involving Hugging Face and may examine whether the companies violated the FTC Act, the law the agency uses to protect consumers and competition. OpenAI, Anthropic and METR did not immediately respond to requests for comment.