Microsoft Avoids UK Antitrust Investigation Into Acquisition Of 'Certain Assets' From Inflection AI
Microsoft Avoids UK Antitrust Investigation Into Acquisition Of 'Certain Assets' From Inflection AI
However, after assessment, the CMA found no risk of such an outcome, while asserting that the agreement constituted an effective merger, the report noted.Satya Nadella-led Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) has managed to avoid a comprehensive U.K. probe into its recruitment of staff from startup Inflection AI.
萨蒂亚·纳德拉领导的微软公司（纳斯达克股票代码：MSFT）设法避免了英国对其从初创公司Inflection AI招聘员工的全面调查。
What Happened: On Wednesday, the Competition and Markets Authority or CMA said that while Microsoft's acquisition of "certain assets" from Inflection does represent a "relevant merger situation" in the U.K., it does not anticipate a "substantial lessening of competition" due to this action, reported CNBC.
发生了什么：据CNBC报道，竞争与市场管理局（CMA）周三表示，尽管微软从Inflection收购 “某些资产” 确实代表了英国的 “相关合并情况”，但预计这一行动不会导致 “竞争大幅减弱”。
The CMA initially referred Microsoft's recruitment of Inflection talent for a merger investigation in July, evaluating the potential for a "substantial lessening of competition" within the AI sector.
CMA最初在7月提请微软招募Inflection人才进行合并调查，评估人工智能领域 “大幅减少竞争” 的可能性。
However, after assessment, the CMA found no risk of such an outcome, while asserting that the agreement constituted an effective merger, the report noted.
但是，报告指出，经过评估，CMA没有发现出现这种结果的风险，同时断言该协议构成了有效的合并。
While Microsoft has not publicly revealed any details of a licensing arrangement with Inflection, it is known that the tech giant incorporated several members of Inflection's 70-person team.
尽管微软尚未公开透露与Inflection达成的许可安排的任何细节，但众所周知，这家科技巨头在Inflection的70人团队中加入了几名成员。
Meanwhile, the CMA is also conducting a separate investigation into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar investment in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI. In April 2024, the EU said that Microsoft's about $13 billion investment in OpenAI will not face a formal investigation by their merger regulators.
同时，CMA还在对微软对ChatGPT制造商OpenAI的数十亿美元投资进行单独调查。2024年4月，欧盟表示，微软对OpenAI的约130亿美元投资不会面临其合并监管机构的正式调查。
CMA is also examining whether the partnership between Amazon.com Inc. and AI firm Anthropic qualifies as a merger that could potentially harm competition, the report noted.
报告指出，CMA还在研究亚马逊公司与人工智能公司Anthropic之间的合作伙伴关系是否符合可能损害竞争的合并。
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Why It Matters: Microsoft announced the recruitment of Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder of Google DeepMind and Inflection, along with several other key Inflection employees in March 2024.
为何重要：微软于2024年3月宣布招聘谷歌DeepMind和Inflection的联合创始人穆斯塔法·苏莱曼以及其他几位关键的Inflection员工。
Suleyman was named as the company's executive vice president and CEO of Microsoft AI, a new division concentrating on AI products. This development was seen as Microsoft's strategic move to diversify its AI risk.
苏莱曼被任命为该公司执行副总裁兼微软人工智能首席执行官，微软人工智能是一个专注于人工智能产品的新部门。这一发展被视为微软分散其人工智能风险的战略举措。
While the CMA has cleared the tech giant in this regard, Microsoft is also under FTC investigation.
尽管CMA已在这方面批准了这家科技巨头的许可，但微软也在接受联邦贸易委员会的调查。
In July, Microsoft reported its fourth-quarter earnings highlighting a 21% YoY increase in cloud revenue, with the company highlighting its commitment to leading the AI era.
7月，微软公布了其第四季度财报，强调云收入同比增长21％，该公司强调了其对引领人工智能时代的承诺。
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免责声明：此内容部分是在人工智能工具的帮助下制作的，并由Benzinga的编辑审阅和发布。
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