Why it’s important: The investigation is one of several steps the administration is taking to show its toughness with AI companies after multiple incidents in which unreleased models hacked websites or took deceptive or aggressive actions during testing.
State of affairs: The agency on Wednesday sent civil investigative requests, which help the government gather evidence and investigate before possible litigation.
- They are over 50 pages each and request documents regarding security incidents and backup practices. The agency is also requesting marketing materials and documents detailing the company’s privacy policies, the source said.
- Investigation requests will be sent to third-party AI organizations later, the person said.
What they say: “As we improve our models and they increasingly help people in their daily lives, security remains a top priority,” said an OpenAI spokesperson. “We will work constructively with the FTC.”
Zoom: The FTC is considering compelling top AI executives to testify about their products, according to the source.
- The agency has investigative authority to review actions related to consumer harm that could be considered unfair or misleading. These can relate to a wide range of misconduct, including how companies charge for services or whether they are suspected of misleading users.
- AI companies continue to face increased scrutiny over the security of their products. FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson echoed the view of other administration figures and executives that AI systems should not be released if they are not safe.
- OpenAI faces a litany of lawsuits. A group of attorneys general sued OpenAI under consumer protection laws on Wednesday for allegedly misleading users, including children, about the security of its chatbot.
The big picture: The Trump administration has taken a more aggressive stance toward AI companies as disclosures of security incidents continue.
- President Trump’s new Super Intelligence Force, co-chaired by Ferguson, responded last week to Anthropic’s AI “fraudulent” use of government systems by announcing an industry-wide mandate to immediately notify and remediate incidents.
- The SI Force is expected to meet on Thursday, close sources said.
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