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US Justice Department drops Google AI divestment bid

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has withdrawn its proposal requiring Google to divest its AI investments, including its stake in Anthropic.

However, the DOJ and 38 state attorneys general continue to push for other measures in their antitrust case, such as forcing Google to divest its Chrome browser.

Prosecutors cited new evidence revealing potential risks and “unintended consequences” of limiting Google’s AI involvement. Instead, they now propose that Google report future investments in generative AI.

Google, which holds a minority stake in Anthropic worth billions, argues that forced divestitures could weaken its position in AI and benefit rivals like OpenAI and Microsoft.

The case is part of a larger US antitrust crackdown on Big Tech, with a trial set for April.

Other DOJ proposals remain, including requirements for Google to share search query data with competitors. Google plans to appeal any unfavorable rulings.

Recent Google developments

Timeline
07-Mar-2025 🚀 Google co-founder reportedly formed new AI startup
  • Larry Page develops AI startup Dynatomics
  • Focus on AI-enhanced product manufacturing
06-Mar-2025 🤖 Google tests AI-powered search with summarized results
  • Google unveils AI Mode for search results
  • Summaries replace links for premium users
05-Mar-2025 ⚖️ Google meets US regulators to address antitrust breakup plan
  • Google urges US regulators to reconsider antitrust
  • DOJ’s search trial expected to start April, ruling by Aug
04-Mar-2025 🧪 Google Colab launches AI agent tool for data insights
  • Google Colab introduces Data Science Agent feature
  • Aids data cleaning, analysis, and visualization

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