The Federal Trade Commission sent subpoenas to Anthropic and OpenAI as it probes how leading artificial intelligence developers are approaching possible safety risks in technological advancements.
The FTC confirmed in late September that it had opened the investigation into the two companies, as well as other AI developers, with the inquiry expected to issue demands for information and compel testimony from executives.
On Thursday, the federal agency confirmed it sent civil subpoenas to Anthropic and OpenAI.
The subpoenas are over 50 pages each and request documents concerning security incidents and safeguarding practices, in addition to marketing materials and documents detailing company privacy policies. Investigative demands would be sent to third-party AI organizations at a later date.
“As we improve our models and they increasingly help people in their day-to-day lives, safety remains a top priority,” an OpenAI spokesperson said. “We will engage constructively with the FTC.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to Anthropic for comment about the subpoenas.
The investigation comes amid concerns that AI agents are performing rational acts autonomously, without human direction, sparking concerns about where the technology is headed. In one such episode over the summer, hundreds of OpenAI agents autonomously hacked into Hugging Face’s systems, triggering further investigations and fears about AI safety risks.
While the wave of AI panic hitting the country has fostered calls in Congress for more guardrails over the technology, FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson said in September that AI developers could be held responsible under existing law when they deliberately instruct their systems to conduct cybersecurity operations that result in harm.
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Ferguson argued that regulators should first determine whether existing laws are sufficient before seeking new AI-specific legislation.
“There’s no easier way for incumbents to insulate themselves from competition than to enlist Washington to come alongside them and build a wall and a moat around their existing technologies,” he said.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
